Baby gecko found in suitcase after 5,000-mile journey from Zanzibar

The lizard was picked up by the RSPCA and taken to an exotic animal rescue centre.
The baby gecko was found hidden inside a suitcase before it was moved to a rescue centre (PA)
Harry Stedman3 April 2023

A baby gecko has been found by holidaymakers in West Yorkshire after it had travelled 5,000 miles from Zanzibar hidden in their suitcase.

The tiny lizard, roughly the same size as a British pound coin, was found by a couple four days after they arrived back home in Blackwell Crescent, Wakefield.

They had begun unpacking on Thursday March 23 when they returned from their holiday to the African island, but uncovered the gecko hidden in a suitcase only three days later.

They put the reptile in a plastic container and called the RSPCA, who then took it to be looked after at Reptilia Exotic Animal Rescue in Ossett.

Animal rescue officer David Holgate, who picked up the lucky lizard, said: “It is a big surprise that the gecko survived such a long haul journey in a suitcase – then to stay there for another four days before being spotted is pretty amazing.”

He added: “We’d like to thank the couple for contacting us and the animal rescue centre who helped us with this little lizard.”

A spokesperson for Reptilia added: “Accidentally imported geckos are very commonly seen in the majority of reptile rescues up and down the country.

“We have a few of them with us at the moment that have come from various continents. They seem to adapt very well to captivity and are seen to thrive in bioactive settings.

“Once this one has settled in it will be ready to be rehomed once the quarantine period has passed.”

Stowaways from abroad such as geckos may have specific needs to survive UK temperatures, including controlled temperature, lighting and humidity, due to the contrast with their normal climate.

It is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to release such animals or allow them to escape into the wild.

Specialist keepers, zoos or wildlife parks who have the necessary knowledge and facilities to care for them properly provide them with new homes instead.

The RSPCA said holidaymakers should always give their cases an extra thorough check before heading home, and that any animals should be treated with caution until identified accurately.

Geckos, found on all continents except for Antarctica, have an average life span of five years in the wild and are mostly nocturnal, according to National Geographic.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in