A West Yorkshire, England, couple who waited a few days to unpack their suitcase discovered a baby gecko had stowed away for a 5,000-mile ride from Zanzibar.
The couple managed to capture the tiny creature, a baby gecko, in a plastic container and contacted the RSPCA.
"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," RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer David Holgate said.
Holgate visited the couple's home and took the tiny lizard to Reptilia Exotic Animal Rescue in Ossett, West Yorkshire.
A Reptilia representative said geckos are well-known for being stowaways."Accidentally imported geckos are very commonly seen in the majority of reptile rescues up and down the country," the spokesperson said. "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."
