It was an unlikely fashion accessory but the arrival of a jewel-encrusted beetle at a US border post certainly bugged customs officers.
A woman crossing from Mexico at Brownsville, Texas, declared the live insect decorated with blue and gold as she drove up to enter the state but she did not have the right paperwork.
Pest control measures meant officers promptly confiscated the item worn as a brooch on the traveler’s sweater and sent it for further inspection. The beetle was attached to the woman's clothing by a gold chain and safety pin.
Animal rights campaigners were less forgiving, reported the south Texan newspaper The Monitor.. Jaime Zalac, for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said: "Beetles may not be as cute and cuddly as puppies and kittens, but they have the same capacity to feel pain and suffer. It's ironic. We spend hours each week helping kind people find humane ways to relocate lost insects such as ants, bees and roaches that wander into their homes. People feel so good about not hurting them, while this woman paid someone to mutilate them."
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Live Beetle Brooches
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1 comment:
That's kind of sick....
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