Customs smells a rat
A rat that hitched a ride from Thailand on a plane has been caught by customs officers at Shanghai Pudong International Airport.
They also disinfected the aircraft, local customs announced on Monday.
Customs received a report from an airline at dawn on Wednesday last week that a rat had been detected in the cargo hold of one of its planes during unloading.
Officers told the airline to close the aircraft's doors and taxi it to a remote area.
Officers placed glue traps in the cargo hold and cabin.
On Thursday morning, a rat was found in one of the traps. It was determined to be a young yellow-breasted rat. There was no indication it was carrying any diseases.
The aircraft was released after disinfection.
Rats can spread serious infectious diseases such as plague and epidemic hemorrhagic fever.
They are also a threat to local ecosystems.
A customs officer in sterilized uniform gives a check on the aircraft.
A customs officer in sterilized uniform looks for the rat with a flashlight on the aircraft.
