A STOWAWAY lizard survived travelling 4,800 miles from China to the UK inside a box of musical instruments.
The 10cm gecko survived the trip and is now in the care of the RSPCA’s Reptile Rescue site in Brighton.
Nicknamed Thin Lizard by RSPCA staff, the lizard was discovered last week at a musical instrument importing company in Maidstone, Kent, having been sealed in an ocean shipping container in October.
The gecko survived the three-month, 4,800 mile trip.
RSPCA’s Clive Hopwood, collected the Asian house gecko, said: “The staff were unpacking a box when the little gecko scuttled out.
“The box had been part of a shipment that had travelled over from China in a sealed ocean shipping container in October, but the box wasn’t unpacked until three months later.”
Clive said it was “amazing” that the gecko survived the trip.
“It’s amazing that this little gecko survived such a long journey and such a long time shut inside the sealed packaging, but they were able to confine him and then called us for help,” he said.
“I took Thin Lizard to our experts at Brighton Reptile Rescue who have identified him as an Asian house gecko and will find him a specialist home.”
The RSPCA said the lizard was lucky to survive as reptiles are ectothermic, meaning they rely on their environment to warm up or cool down as needed.
The charity hopes his journey will remind holidaymakers to always give their suitcases a thorough check before flying home.
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