Airports

‘Emotional Support’ Snake Measuring 4 Feet Barred From Boarding Florida Flight, TSA Says

Jan. 9, 2023

The Transportation and Security Administration shared a cheeky public service announcement on Instagram Friday night after agents found a 4-foot boa constrictor hidden inside a woman’s luggage.

By Jessica Schladebeck

Source New York Daily News (TNS)

Python hunter Donna Kalil caught a 13-foot snake in the Everglades. She would not, however, be allowed to bring the snake on an airplane, as a woman in Florida found out in December of 2022.

No snakes on this plane.

The Transportation and Security Administration shared a cheeky public service announcement on Instagram Friday night after agents found a 4-foot boa constrictor hidden inside a woman’s luggage. They made the alarming discovery on Dec. 15 at Tampa International Airport in Florida, the agency’s spokeswoman, Lisa Farbstein, told CNN.

The traveler told security that the snake, named Bartholomew, was actually her “emotional support animal” and requested that he be allowed to fly with her. In the end, the airline ultimately barred Bartholomew from boarding, Farberstein said in a tweet.

“There’s a danger noodle in that bag…” the agency said on Instagram. “Our officers at Tampa International Airport didn’t find this hyssssssterical!”

The social media post also featured an X-ray showing the boa constrictor coiled up in the woman’s luggage.

“Do you have asp-irations of taking a snake on a plane? Don’t get upsetti spaghetti by not understanding your airline’s rules,” the agency said, adding that airlines never allow snakes in carry-on bags, and just a few will allow them in checked bags — so long as the animal is packaged correctly.

The snake was not injured in the incident and was returned home, officials said.