A couple were terrified after a “venomous” scorpion from Cancun hitched a ride to the UK to escape Hurricane Beryl – by hiding in their luggage. <br /><br />John Gray, 27, and his girlfriend, Jodie Daly, 26 had just returned from Mexico and were unpacking their suitcases when the unwelcome visitor emerged.<br /><br />He heard Jodie screaming from another room, and ran in to spot the creature which had travelled 5,500 miles and survived a 10-hour Tui flight.<br /><br />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. <br /><br />But they had to keep the arachnid - which they discovered was pregnant - overnight before it could be taken to the rescue the following morning. <br /><br />John, a client solutions manager from Streatham, said: “We got back to the flat and Jodie was sorting out the washing. <br /><br />“As she pulled out a t-shirt and the scorpion dropped out and ran into the bedroom. <br /><br />“All I heard was her screaming and shouting - I had no idea what was going on. <br /><br />“She was shouting ‘scorpion’, but I still didn’t know what she meant – I ran in there and found a six-inch scorpion sitting in the bedroom trying to hide under the washing. <br /><br />“We didn't even see one while we were in Mexico - I was shocked. <br /><br />“I 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. <br /><br />“They said it was highly likely it was highly venomous - we kept it in a container inside a Hello Fresh box.<br /><br />"We were trying not to kill it but to also stop it from killing us.” <br /><br />The couple spent 11 days in Playa del Carmen, near Cancun in Mexico, and were in the country when Hurricane Beryl hit. <br /><br />They believe the scorpion snuck into their luggage while looking for shelter during the intense storm. <br /><br />And the pair had to keep the animal in their flat overnight before it could be handed over to reptile rehoming organisation Mitcham Zoo on July 9. <br /><br />Gareth North, from Mitcham Zoo, said: “It's venomous, 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. <br /><br />“We’ll be passing on to the National Centre for Reptile Welfare (NCRW) at the end of the week – it goes onto a specialist from there who looks after it for the rest of it’s life. <br /><br />“It’s classed as a stowaway - most stowaways end up at the NCRW and this one will also be going there. <br /><br />“A professional who keeps these scorpions will be taking it on long term. <br /><br />“We're a rescue and we rehome animals - keeping these animals requires a license.”
