Giant centipede with a red head that was found by a holidaymaker in his underwear after returning from an exotic break in Zanzibar.
The huge black and yellow creepy-crawly was discovered as the tourist was unpacking his suitcase at his home in Gdynia, Poland, on 6th December.
Experts believe it was a member of the supersized Scolopendra family, whose bites cause severe pain and massive swelling.
They think the bug curled up in the holidaymaker’s clothes and was bundled into his suitcase when he packed it to go back home.
After searching for images of similar creatures online matching the 10-centimetre (4-inch) centipede, the shocked holidaymaker called the police when he realised it was dangerous.
Gdynia City Guard spokesperson Leonard Wawrzyniak said: “The man had just returned from a holiday in Zanzibar.
“To his horror, he discovered in his luggage an animal that looked as if it had crawled straight out of hell.”
He added: “It was spotted while unpacking his underwear, and there was an exotic animal hidden there.
“The man caught it, checked what it was on the Internet and called us.”
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Police described the bud as the “embodiment of nightmares”.
They warned the centipedes are venomous and can kill small animals and cause intense pain and swelling in humans.
Now, the bug is thriving after being handed over to exotic animal experts at the city’s Anakonda Foundation.
Wawrzyniak said: “It must have sneaked into the luggage unnoticed and then flown thousands of kilometres by plane.
“Undisturbed by anyone, buried in the dark, in the underwear, it survived the journey in good condition.
“The centipede is doing well, it is active.
“Its appetite is good, because it ate a few crickets in the morning. The coming weeks will tell whether it will acclimatise to the new environment.”
Police warned that centipedes should never be handled, and if found, it is safer to call in expert handlers.
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Story By: Joseph Golder, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash
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