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TSA agents are primarily tasked with preventing travelers from bringing potentially dangerous items onto an airplane. However, they also encounter plenty of strange things you’re not allowed to fly with—including the live turtle that was discovered after they detained a man attempting to board a flight in Newark.
Most people who fly on a regular basis are likely pretty familiar with what you can and can’t bring through the security checkpoints manned by TSA agents who are mostly on the hunt for weapons and dangerous materials with the potential to jeopardize the safety of airline passengers and crew members.
The TSA will also screen any pets you’re flying with before you make your way to the gate (I recently learned there’s an exception to the agency’s fairly infuriating rule concerning liquids if you’re flying with live fish).
Agents will keep an eye out for possibly illegal exotic animals that fall under the purview of Customs and Border Protection and the Fish and Wildlife Service, but the airlines themselves are usually responsible for dictating what types of animals are allowed on their planes.
As far as I can tell, the agency doesn’t have an official policy when it comes to attempting to fly with a turtle. However, one guy nonetheless ended up missing his flight after he understandably aroused some suspicion thanks to the manner in which he tried to travel with one.
According to a press release issued on Tuesday, an unidentified man from East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania made his way into Newark Liberty International Airport on March 7th when he was flagged for additional screening after a body scan detected some sort of object near his groin.
The object turned out to be a red-ear slider turtle inside a blue towel the man pulled out of his pants when he was asked if he was hiding anything.
TSA
Port Authority police officers ultimately decided to confiscate the turtle and informed its owner they were planning to contact the Fish and Wildlife Service and animal control to determine if he was even allowed to have it in the first place (all signs point to that being the case when you consider that particular species is a fairly popular pet among turtle owners).
Thomas Carter, who serves as the Federal Security Director for the TSA in the state of New Jersey, noted this was an unprecedented situation in a statement, saying:
“I believe this is the first time we have come across someone who was concealing a live animal down the front of his pants. As best as we could tell, the turtle was not harmed by the man’s actions.”
The man missed his flight as a result of the interrogation he was subjected to and was escorted out of the terminal once it wrapped up. It’s unclear if he’ll face any charges, but it seems unlikely given the facts at hand.