Officials destroyed a shipment of bunny scarecrows that recently arrived at the port of Baltimore after agricultural inspectors determined that the bamboo poles to which they were attached could contain harmful pathogens.
The shipment from Hong Kong raised the concern of Customs and Border Protection agents working at the port, who are trained in biological sciences and agricultural inspection.
Bamboo is regulated to prevent the spread of bamboo smut and other pathogens, officials said. Bamboo stakes can also contain wood borers and other insects.
Border protection agents "were pretty quick to hop on this potential threat," said Augustine Moore, an assistant director with the customs agency working at the port, in a statement.
The container with the bunny scarecrows - dressed in striped trousers and jackets - as well as baskets and other crafts, arrived Sept. 29, and was quarantined. The scarecrows were destroyed last week, officials said, after the importer decided against fumigating them or shipping them out of the country.
