Ontario woman finds venomous scorpion in bedroom
Digital Reporter
Friday, June 17, 2016, 11:03 AM - This nightmare scenario turned into reality for a woman in southern Ontario. The Owen Sound resident spotted a 20-centimetre scorpion on her bedroom floor.
The woman was heading off to bed Wednesday evening when she saw what she thought was a "black insect of some sort," according to Staff Sgt. Mike Daze of Owen Sound Police Service. Upon further inspection, she noticed it was a scorpion and cornered it until police arrived.
"They were scared, I think they were taken aback, and they did the right thing," Daze told The Canadian Press.
"It's what nightmares are made of, isn't it?" -- Sgt. Mike Daze, Owen Sound Police
Officers managed to capture the arachnid in a plastic tub and released a video of the creature on YouTube (above).
Image courtesy: Owen Sound Police
Officials believe it is an emperor scorpion, a species native to rainforests and savannas in West Africa. It is one of the largest scorpions in the world and lives for six to eight years. The emperor scorpion is a popular pet trade species, whose stings range from mild and relatively harmless, like a bee sting, to severe in cases where persons are allergic to the venom.
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The scorpion found in the woman's bedroom had its stinger, however, Daze said it's unclear how much venom it had left.
"By nature, like any of those types of animals, whether it's a snake or a scorpion, is there potential for someone to be hurt? Sure there is," Daze told The Canadian Press. "The degree of that in this particular animal, I don't know."
The creature falls within the venomous arachnids category of Owen Sound's Prohibited Animal appendix in the bylaw that regulates the keeping of certain animals, according to police.
Officials say the scorpion had escaped from a neighbour's home Tuesday, the day before it appeared in the woman's apartment. The owner believed the arachnid was being mistreated and its enclosure was said to be escape-proof.
Animal control will decide whether to send the creature to a zoo or another facility.
SOURCE: The Canadian Press
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