Student Finds Live Scorpion in Shein Parcel

A university student was shocked to find a live scorpion in a clothing parcel she received from the fast-fashion brand Shein. Sofia Alonso-Mossinger, an 18-year-old electrical and electronic engineering student at the University of Bristol, initially thought the arachnid was a toy, only to discover it was very much alive when it began to move.

“I thought I was dreaming,” Alonso-Mossinger recounted. She had opened the package expecting a pair of boots, but instead encountered the unexpected visitor. The student quickly rezipped the bag and sought help from her flatmates.

Phoebe Hunt, also 18, heard Alonso-Mossinger’s screams and rushed to her aid. “We were not exactly buzzing to have a scorpion in the flat,” she recalled. While one suggestion was to kill the scorpion, the group opted for a more humane approach and captured it using a tupperware container.

Oliver James, a flatmate studying zoology, used kitchen tongs to carefully transfer the scorpion to a safer enclosure. “It was a bit nerve-wracking as no one knew how venomous it was,” he said. The flatmates provided the scorpion with water and card to hide under until animal welfare experts could be contacted.

The group reached out to the National Centre for Reptile Welfare (NCRW) after the RSPCA was found to be more suited to handling domestic animals like cats and dogs. The NCRW was able to respond within hours. Chris Newman, a representative from the NCRW, confirmed the scorpion as Olivierus martensii, commonly known as the Chinese scorpion. Newman remarked that, while medically significant and potentially life-threatening, the sting would likely only cause a “really bad day” rather than severe harm to a healthy adult.

Reports of stowaways like these are not uncommon, Newman noted, mentioning that this was the second case in a month. Meanwhile, Shein has acknowledged the incident and is conducting an investigation into the matter.