Crappy weather’s the typical reason for a flight delay, but there’s nothing like a gaggle of lizards keeping you from getting to your destination.
According to CBC News, A WestJet flight traveling from Toronto to Vancouver had to ask its passengers to get off the plane after boarding thanks to a couple of iguanas apparently parading somewhere through the aircraft. Earlier that day, the plane had arrived in Toronto from Cuba with a man who was transporting four of the lizards in his luggage. He was stopped at customs, where officials found one of them. But when he checked his bag, it contained only half of the scaly stowaways.
Staff guessed that the two missing iguanas were still somewhere on the plane, which had already invited passengers to board for its next departure. The reptiles weren’t spotted in the cabin area, but the passengers had to get off so the cargo area could be searched for the culprits.
Robin Shantz, who was on the plane, livetweeted the experience. It looks like he was getting a different story from the stewardess.
Iguanas loose on a plane in Toronto? Where’s @SamuelLJackson when we need him?! #WestJet
— Robin Shantz (@bloginhood) September 17, 2016
Iguana update: a stewardess told a guy next to me that apparently some dude on our plane tried to smuggle several iguanas aboard on his body
— Robin Shantz (@bloginhood) September 18, 2016
…some of them supposedly escaped when he tried to transfer them to his carry-on….#WestJet #AirIguana
— Robin Shantz (@bloginhood) September 18, 2016
The plane was reportedly fumigated, and the passengers were put on another aircraft. There was a delay of about 50 minutes, but then they were off to Vancouver.
We have now boarded the new plane & are awaiting takeoff… without any reptilian livestock.#WestJet #AirIguana
— Robin Shantz (@bloginhood) September 18, 2016
As for the iguanas? Well, they’re apparently still on the lam.
H/T CBC
