Six poison dart frogs found in Schiphol Airport bathroom during customs check

Six poison dart frogs were discovered in a departure hall bathroom at Schiphol Airport last week after a passenger noticed one of them and raised the alarm with customs.

The frogs were discovered in a plastic box thrown into a bin next to a restroom, along with containers of moss that appear to have been used to keep them alive temporarily. Customs described the frogs as “blue, black, and yellow” in colour. One was seen moving around near the restrooms, while the remaining five were still inside a bin.

Customs believe the frogs were probably purchased in the Netherlands and intended for illegal transport abroad. They may have been abandoned shortly before security screening. Officials are still looking into where they came from and where they were headed.

These are protected, poisonous species that originate from tropical rainforest regions. Their trade and transport are tightly regulated under international CITES rules.

Customs have taken the frogs into safe custody and transferred them to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, where they will be moved to a specialist care facility.

“I’ve seen odd discoveries before, but in 18 years on the job, this is the first time I’ve encountered anything like it,” a customs officer said to the NOS Jeugdjournaal. Customs noted that airport inspections routinely focus on preventing animal trafficking and other forms of smuggling.

Alongside the frogs, customs said it had also confiscated other illegal wildlife items that day, including exotic feathered headpieces that fall under strict CITES rules.