Student’s horror after finding highly venomous scorpion in her suitcase

A student has spoken of her shock after she found a highly venomous scorpion the size of a fingernail in her suitcase following a trip to South Africa.

A scorpion, which was found by a student in her suitcase after returning from a trip to South Africa. Picture: RSPCA/PA Wire

Megan Royle had returned to her home in Gillingham, Kent, after flying back from her mother’s wedding when she discovered the olive thick tail scorpion.

The 20-year-old said: “I was rushing to unpack as I was going out to meet friends then this tiny scorpion hopped out of the suitcase and scuttled across the bed.

“I didn’t clock straight away what it was. I thought to myself: ‘That can’t be a scorpion’.”

Megan Royle (right), with her mother Lindsey Mallon (centre), and step father Paul Kratovi. Picture: RSPCA/PA Wire

Ms Royle said she called her mother for advice, and added: “Mum told me not to worry, it’s only the little ones that are dangerous - and this one was tiny so then I was freaking out even more.”

Ms Royle said she then contacted the RSPCA which collected the scorpion and identified it as a species that requires a Dangerous Wild Animal licence to be kept in the UK.

Animal collection officer Brian Milligan went to collect the scorpion. He said: “The scorpion was small and sandy-coloured. It seemed to be well so I took it straight to our specialist exotics centre in Brighton.”