An illegal shipment of 41 dead bats and 41 dead birds has been intercepted on its way from Nigeria to West Palm Beach, Florida.
Labeled as "Yam Flour Sponge," U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agriculture Specialists (CBPAS) made the grim discovery at the Louisville Port of Entry in Kentucky.
The explanation behind the import of the dead animals from Africa to West Palm Beach is so far a mystery. Newsweek has contacted the CBP for comment by email outside of normal office hours.
The bats were identified as Straw-Colored Fruit Bats, which are eaten and traded as bushmeat in Nigeria. The dead birds were yellow and black feathered Village Weavers, which live in sub-Saharan Africa.
According to CBP, the shipment had been left undeclared to evade detection and was referred to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which ordered the dead bats and birds to be destroyed.
Bats are known carriers of infectious agents like Ebola, Marburg hemorrhagic fever, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and rabies. Dead birds, meanwhile, can introduce highly contagious diseases among birds, such as Newcastle disease and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).
"Louisville's CBP Agriculture Specialists are focused on their mission to prevent entry of prohibited items from entering the United States. These seizures clearly show how critical their role is in preventing diseases from entering the United States," said LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, Director, Field Operations.
Attempting to bring in prohibited agricultural items could lead to traveler delays and may result in a large fine.
In certain parts of the world, including Africa, raw or minimally processed meat from wild animals is known as bushmeat. This meat can come from animals, such as bats, monkeys, cane rats (also called grasscutters), and duikers (a type of antelope), and may carry communicable disease risks.
According to Bats as bushmeat: a global review, published by Cambridge University Press and written by Simon Mickleburgh, Kerry Waylen and Paul Racey, bats are traded and eaten as bushmeat worldwide. The consumption of bats in Nigeria is widespread, according to the report.
Bushmeat is strictly prohibited from entering the U.S.
CBP have made several bizarre discoveries.
One of the strangest came on January 8, 2024, when officers intercepted an individual attempting to illegally import four mummified monkeys into the U.S. via Logan Airport, Boston.
The individual in question was returning to the U.S. after a visit from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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