Terrified woman found a 'venomous' scorpion stowaway in her suitcase after Mexico holiday

A couple found a ‘venomous’ six-inch scorpion hiding in their suitcase after travelling home from Cancun. John Gray, 27, and his girlfriend, Jodie Daly, 26 had just returned from Mexico and were unpacking their suitcases when the unwelcome visitor emerged.

John heard his girlfriend screaming from another room, and ran in to spot the creature which had travelled 5,500 miles and survived a 10-hour Tui flight. He managed to trap the scorpion in a pint glass before transferring it to a takeaway container – with added air holes – and calling a local reptile rescue.

Pregnant scorpion dropped out

But they had to keep the arachnid - which they discovered was pregnant - overnight before it could be taken to the rescue the following morning.

Jodie, from Streatham, had been sorting through the laundry when the scorpion dropped out of a t-shirt and ran into the bedroom.

Venomous

“We didn't even see one while we were in Mexico - I was shocked,” said John. He called Mitcham Zoo who work with non-native species and reptiles, and they wanted to send it over to their team to do some research. “They said it was highly likely it was highly venomous - we kept it in a container inside a Hello Fresh box.”

Escaping Hurricane Beryl

The couple spent 11 days in Playa del Carmen, near Cancun in Mexico, and were in the country when Hurricane Beryl hit. They believe the scorpion snuck into their luggage while looking for shelter during the intense storm.

Gareth North, from Mitcham Zoo, said the scorpion will be rehomed with a professional, who will need a licence to keep the creature. He said: “It's a venomous species and it’s pregnant but I can’t confirm the species yet because it needs to be confirmed by a specialist.”