Customs officials at a Minnesota airport had to confiscate and destroy giraffe feces that an American woman brought back from Kenya in her suitcase for “unusual reuse” by making… necklaces with feces.
“There is a real danger in bringing feces into the United States. If this person […] “If someone has not declared these items, there is a good chance that someone has contracted an illness and developed serious health problems from these jewelry,” said LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, chief of the field division for U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Chicago released a statement on Thursday.
Last Friday, the passenger in question was singled out for inspection by customs officials specializing in agriculture when she allegedly admitted to carrying giraffe feces, CBS reported Thursday.
But it was above all the “unusual reuse” planned by the passenger, who wanted to turn the animal’s feces into a necklace, that surprised the officials, according to the press release.
The woman admitted that she had already done the same with moose droppings found near her home in Iowa, American media reported.
Because Kenya is affected by many diseases, including various types of swine fever, Newcastle disease, foot-and-mouth disease and swine vesicular disease, veterinary clearance is required for ruminant feces to enter the United States, it said of the message.
The feces were destroyed by steam sterilization under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) destruction protocol, the U.S. Customs Service said.
Since the passenger self-declared her unusual travel memory, she will not face a fine, which can range from $300 to $1,000 in case of non-declaration, the American media concluded.