Invasion Plot Foiled

A sneaky attempt by the animal uprising to infiltrate an invasion force into Thailand was thwarted by alert members of the airport staff in Kenya. 228 tortoises of the fierce and greatly feared "leopard brigade" had cleverly managed to sneak themselves into crates. Unfortunately for them, they didn't pack a port-a-potty in with themselves and the airport staff noticed droppings.

NAIROBI (Reuters) - A trail of droppings led Kenyan airport staff to 228 live tortoises packed as "shells" and destined for Thailand, officials said on Thursday.

"Airport staff heard movement and funny noises in the containers," said Gichuki Kabukuru of Kenya Wildlife Services. "They notified us when they saw the droppings."

Kabukuru said the leopard tortoises, named for their spotted shells, had arrived in metal crates from neighbouring Uganda.

Kudos to the staff for their fine work in ferreting out this nefarious scheme. Who knows what slow motion havoc the fierce shelled warriors could have wrought on the unsuspecting Thai populace. Now, however, there will be cheap turtle soup available in Nairobi for months to come!