Eels writhe on Vancouver airport’s tarmac after escaping from Air Canada cargo box

It was not quite the 2006 film "Snakes on a Plane" at Vancouver International Airport, but there were real eels — dozens of them — writhing on the tarmac during a recent incident captured on video.

Air Canada Cargo says in a statement that it was handling a shipment of eels from Toronto to Vancouver on July 7 when one container box accidentally spilled during unloading.

Video on social media shows the 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.

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

— Lyle Chausse (@rockerdad) July 8, 2024

The video also recorded at least one person screaming in the background as the eels spilled to the ground.

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

A statement from YVR media relations says airport operations were not affected by the spill.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 10, 2024.