By Wendy Anders

Tax inspection police discovered two spotted, wriggling banana lizards this morning in a review of courier packages arriving from outside Costa Rica at the Juan Santamaría Airport in Alajuela.

“This is the first time live animals have been found entering the country via a courier service. We are concerned not only about the fact that animals are being shipped between countries via the mail, but that these animals are entering without required permits, and could be carrying bacteria or illnesses,” said Irving Malespín, tax inspection police director.

The animals were handed over to the National Animal Health Service (SENASA). The Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) was also alerted, and they are investigating whether the lizard order and shipment violate Costa Rican wildlife conservation laws.

The buyer, a Costa Rican in San José, placed the order in the United States; the name of the courier service has not been made public yet. The country of origin of the lizards is still unknown, though the species has been identified as Australian.

The white cardboard box in which the lizards were neatly packed with some bedding material traveled via Miami, like most courier services, and arrived in Costa Rica last week.

The identity of the purchaser(s) is under investigation as are other details of the case. Officials want to find out whether or not this is part of a larger operation involving cross-border exotic animal shipping.