Most tourists expect to return from vacation with a few souvenirs and a good tan, but one foreign traveler was not so lucky: returning from a trip through California to the United States, he brought more than he bargained for in his luggage – a scorpion, the presence of which the tourist learned when a stowaway managed to the instep.
According to the Mirror, the incident happened in Munich (Germany), where a couple of German travelers – a 32-year-old tourist and his girlfriend – returned from a 12-day trip to the American state of California. It was specified that they had already managed to disassemble most of the suitcases. When the man got up from the sofa, he felt a sharp pain in his foot. It immediately became clear that he had been bitten by a beige-brown scorpion – the culprit of the German’s pain was sitting nearby. The tourist was not confused and managed to react – he covered the offender with a plastic cup before he managed to hide in the apartment.
Soon, the victim called a quick and immediate animal rescue organization. Fortunately, the tourist did not need medical help, as this species of animal did not have a poison strong enough for humans. According to the man, the poisonous animal most likely made a long trip on the US-Germany route, being in a rolled-up tent that was packed in a suitcase.
Note that the vast majority of scorpion species do not pose a serious threat to humans, so people who do not have serious chronic health problems usually do not need treatment after being bitten. However, tourists should be aware that about 25 species of scorpions still have strong enough venom to kill a person. The German tourist was very lucky because the “hare” turned out to be another representative of arthropods.