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During a secondary baggage exam from a recent flight from Kenya back to the DMV region, agriculture specialists discovered bones that a Fauquier County woman admitted were giraffe and zebra bones she found during her trip and kept as keepsakes.
The bones were recovered by the specialists and checked by US Fish and Wildlife Service inspectors, according to officials.
They were ultimately found to be in violation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and the Lacey Act, and the bones were seized as a precaution.
According to US Customs and Border Protection officials, the woman - whose name is not being released because she was not criminally charged - was initially referred to a secondary examination for declaring that she brought home a small Acacia tree twig, which led to the discovery of the bones.
The tree twig was ultimately deemed admissible, while the bones were detained by investigators.
"I can appreciate travelers wanting to keep souvenirs of their vacations, but those souvenirs could violate United States or international law, or potentially expose our families, pets or our nation’s agriculture industries to serious animal or plant diseases,” acting Area Port Director for CBP’s Area Port of Washington, DC Kim Der-Yeghiayan stated.
“Customs and Border Protection strongly encourages all travelers to know what they can and cannot pack in their baggage before returning to or visiting the United States and to declare all items upon arrival.”
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