Colorado Woman Returns From Trip to Costa Rica. When She Opens Her Suitcase, She Immediately Calls Animal Control

Most people who love to travel also like bringing home a souvenir or a memento to remember the good times they spent in a foreign country.

One woman returning home to Colorado from Costa Rica, however, found something in her suitcase that led her to call animal control.

In her video, which has gone viral with over 2.5 million views, TikTok creator Sami (@_samipaige) reveals what airport security missed in her bag.

What Did She Find Inside Her Suitcase?

“If you’re having a hard day just know I somehow brought a f—— snake back from Costa Rica in my bag and animal control still isn’t here an hour and a half,” she wrote in the video’s text overlay.

She revealed some more horrific details in the caption. “Simply had to main this. Craziest thing to ever happen to me,” she wrote. “Highly venomous Costa Rican pit viper btw.”

For context, a pit viper, also known as an eyelash viper (Bothriechis schlegelii), is a venomous species. It lives in Central and South America, including Costa Rica.

It typically lives in tropical rainforests and is known for its ability to blend into its surroundings, often resting in trees or vegetation. Its venom can cause serious symptoms. However, fatalities in humans are rare, especially in regions where anti-venom is readily available.

According to WCNC, local wildlife safely removed it before transferring it to a facility equipped to handle venomous species.

Commenters Are In Disbelief

In the comments, most viewers couldn’t believe such a travel event was even possible.

“Wait how did this get through security,” one user wondered.

“This is actually an original experience,” wrote another.

“As someone who doesn’t immediately unpack when I get back from a trip this is a nightmare,” said a third horrified viewer.

A fourth, however, said the same happened to them. “I was also chosen,” one user wrote, attaching a photo of their open suitcase with a rolled-up snake sitting inside. “Omg hi twin,” Sami responded.

Is This Common?

While not exactly common, it does happen. According to the BBC, in the U.K., the National Reptile Centre reported rescuing 361 reptiles in 2025 from suitcases and shipping containers.

A similar case happened in New Zealand last year when a passenger traveling from Bali discovered a small, live, non-venomous snake in their luggage.

It’s not entirely clear how situations like this happen. However, cases like these show that airport security can sometimes miss live animals inside checked bags.

BroBible has reached out to Sami via TikTok messages for comment and additional details.