Video Shows Eels Slithering On Canada Airport's Tarmac After Escaping From Cargo Box

A video has gone viral on the internet showing a shipment of live eels spilt out onto the tarmac of Vancouver International Airport. The airport confirmed the shipment was on board an Air Canada Cargo plane that had flown from Toronto to Vancouver. Air Canada Cargo said in a statement that it was handling a shipment of eels on July 7 when one container box accidentally spilt during unloading. It's unknown how exactly the eels got loose from the box.

Videos shared online show a broken box on top of a stationary conveyor belt with half-metre-long eels slithering out and falling to the ground, while about two dozen writhed on the tarmac below.

Watch the video here:

This apparently occurred at YVR airport today. ⁦@GlobalBC⁩ pic.twitter.com/PSJvRH8uuE

— Lyle Chausse (@rockerdad) July 8, 2024

Air Canada Cargo says the eels were collected and repackaged, and the company is contacting the customer about the incident.

''A shipment of live eels was spilt onto the apron surface while ground handlers unloaded an aircraft at YVR.  Thankfully at this time the live eels were collected and repackaged safely, '' said Tanya Crowell, communications specialist with YVR.

The airline didn't comment on the cause but said the incident was accidental. A statement from YVR media relations says airport operations were not affected by the spill.

Notably, an eel is a fish that's so long and skinny it resembles a snake. Most eels live in very shallow ocean waters, burrowing into the sand there. However, unlike most fish, eels do not have pelvic fins, and most species do not have pectoral fins. Eels are primarily predatory fish with carnivorous diets. Their diet typically consists of smaller fish, invertebrates, crustaceans, shrimp, crabs and sea urchins. Freshwater eels also consume insect larvae.