Wildlife officers caught a California woman with a rare sea creature hiding in her pants. The woman in question tried to conceal the illegally gained creature from authorities.
According to a Facebook post shared by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) on Thursday, Feb. 5, the incident happened at Van Damme State Park in Little River, California. A wildlife officer spotted a man and woman collecting purple sea urchins. The woman tried to hide an abalone, which is a sea snail, down her pants.
Due to decline in population, the red abalone is heavily protected by laws and regulations.
The press release read, "Over the weekend, a wildlife officer was using a spotting scope to observe two individuals at Van Damme State Park. The officer watched a male and female in the intertidal zone taking purple sea urchins when he observed the female discreetly conceal what appeared to be an abalone down her pants, an unconventional storage method, to say the least."
Rare Sea Creature In Pants
It continued, "The officer left his observation point and contacted the pair in the parking lot before they reached their vehicle. During a license and catch inspection, the officer asked the female what she had concealed. She then produced a small abalone from inside her pants."
So at least she was honest about hiding a sea creature in her pants. But wait the story takes a twist.
