Woman Caught Trying to Smuggle Giraffe Feces Through Minnesota Airport by U.S. Customs

Federal customs agents discovered a peculiar plan when a woman from Iowa attempted to bring giraffe feces into the U.S. from her trip to Kenya. She had collected the feces to make jewelry and had declared it in her luggage upon arrival at Minneapolis-Saint Paul Airport on September 29, as reported by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The woman, who remains unidentified, had previously used moose poop to create necklaces. While it is possible to bring giraffe feces back to the U.S. with the proper permits and inspections, the woman’s plans were halted as the agency’s agriculture specialists destroyed the feces. Luckily for her, she won’t face any sanctions as she declared the items and handed them over to Customs.

Customs cited the risk of diseases, such as African swine fever, classical swine fever, Newcastle disease, foot-and-mouth disease, and swine vesicular disease, as reasons to carefully inspect and control the importation of items like giraffe feces.

LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, the Chicago field Director of Customs and Border Protection, emphasized the health risks associated with bringing fecal matter into the country. If the woman had not declared the feces, people could have potentially contracted diseases from the jewelry made from it.