Nothing quite prepares you for your child screaming about a “little beestje” in their brand-new school bag — especially when that creature turns out to be a venomous scorpion.
According to Omroep Brabant, that’s exactly what happened to one Tilburg family on Wednesday when nine-year-old Arianna opened her new school bag from Shein.
When online shopping gets a little too exciting
Arianna couldn’t wait to unpack her new backpack on Wednesday when the package arrived from China.
But her excitement quickly turned to terror when she discovered an unexpected passenger inside. “She suddenly screamed very loud: ‘Mama, a little beestje!'” her mother, Jacqueline, tells Omproep Brabant.
What initially looked like a strange-shaped moth turned out to be a Chinese golden scorpion. If you’ve been shopping from international online stores, this story might make you think twice about that next bargain purchase.
A new home for “Snippie”
Jacqueline’s first instinct was understandable: “I grabbed that bag and threw that little creature out the front door, out of pure shock,” she said.
But then she realised the danger a venomous scorpion could pose to local children and pets roaming the area.
She went back outside, captured ‘Snippie’ (as Arianna had already named the scorpion) with a plank and plastic container, and called Dierenpark de Oliemeulen for advice.
Thankfully, the Tilburg zoo agreed to take in their unexpected guest.
The plot twist nobody saw coming
But the story gets even more interesting. The next morning, the zoo called with news — Snippie had given birth to babies.
The family had been housing a pregnant venomous scorpion without knowing it. The good news? The family plans to visit Snippie and her babies at the zoo soon.
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Feature Image: Image: Holger Krisp/Wikimedia Commons/CC4.0
