Stowaway gecko found in Corby

The Kotschy’s gecko was a surprise find for workers at Aluminium Shapes Limited, in Princewood Road, when they took delivery of a large aluminium roll which had been transported by lorry from Turkey.

They spotted the three-inch long reptile wrapped under plastic sheeting covering the roll on Wednesday (November 14) and called the RSPCA.

Animal collection officer Greg Hagen was sent out to collect the stowaway, which staff members had managed to safely secure in a plastic container.

He said: “We believe the gecko must have hitched a lift when the aluminium was loaded onto the lorry in Turkey as they were so tightly wrapped in the plastic they wouldn’t have been able to get in to that position during the journey.

“So the gecko has travelled around 2,500 miles which would have taken a few days, but they appear unscathed by the long and adventurous journey and are actually pretty lively.”

Geckos, like other reptiles, have specific needs including controlled temperature, lighting and humidity.

This gecko would be very unlikely to survive UK temperatures and it would be an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to release it, or to allow it to escape into the wild.

The gecko was taken to a reptile keeper who will foster them until a permanent home can be found with a specialist.

The RSPCA receives a lot of calls from people who have found spiders, lizards and other exotic animals that have stowed away in deliveries or in suitcases.

As it is unlikely they would ever be able to return accidentally imported animals to their native environments, they are re-homed to specialist keepers, zoos or wildlife parks who have the necessary knowledge and facilities to care for them properly.

The RSPCA say they would like to remind holidaymakers to always give their cases an extra thorough check before heading home just in case they too pick up a surprising stowaway.