Monkey 'Bushmeat' Intercepted At Logan Airport: 'Disease Risk'

BOSTON, MA — A passenger attempted to bring the corpses of four monkeys into the country after arriving at Logan Airport from France in January, but federal officials intercepted the potentially disease-carrying stowaways.

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection K9 Buddey detected the dead primates during a luggage check on Jan. 8. An X-ray of the luggage revealed what appeared to be dried fish, but turned out to be dehydrated monkeys.

Customs officials believe the monkeys were "bushmeat" — a category of food that includes wild animals like bats and primates. Bushmeat can carry diseases like Ebola. The passenger had originally traveled from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Customs agents contact officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC took the luggage and marked it for destruction, according to CBP.

“Bushmeat can carry germs that can cause illness, including the Ebola virus. The work of CBP’s K9 unit and Agricultural Specialist were vital in preventing this potential danger from entering the U.S.,” CBP Area Port Director Julio Cararvia said in a news release.