K-9 Dog Eeriely Finds Human Skulls From O'Hare's International Mail Facility

Officers discovered six shipments containing human-looking skulls on their way from the Netherlands to a location in Iowa with the help of a K-9 dog.

Apart from the human skulls, the dog notably detected moss bathmats and live snails.

K9 Dog Finds Human Skull, Other Illegal Anomalies

Agriculture specialists working for US Customs and Border Protection at Chicago O'Hare International Airport said in a CNN report (via KWWL) that they've noticed many more forbidden commodities being sent.

They made such a claim after an x-ray of several shipments revealed irregularities.

Officers found several skulls and other mysterious things at Chicago O'Hare International Airport.

Each shipment contained two skulls sent from the same person in the Netherlands.

Hitch, one of the agency's K-9 dogs, alerted staff on March 8 to three parcels from Poland, according to an announcement from the agency. The officials then finally found the skulls on March 29.

According to Customs and Border Protection (per Block Club Chicago), an X-ray inspection of the Netherlands package bound for Iowa revealed "anomalies."

Two skulls were discovered within the shipment, and another two containers each contained two heads. The skulls were submitted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States.

Three live pole moss bathmats were included in each delivery, which officials feared may "inadvertently bring plant disease, propagative materials, and insects into the United States," harming agriculture in the country.

According to the agency, steam treatment was used to kill the moss bathmats. The CDC will be in charge of disposing of the skulls.

Meanwhile, investigators have not revealed the sender's name or the cause for sending the skulls.

According to the Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), this is only one example of the rise in banned commodities being shipped discovered.

Since last October, authorities have seized almost 1,600 banned products.

CBP said in a US Sun report that sausages, plants, and live snails are among the most confiscated commodities.

How Security Sniffing Dogs Are Trained to Find Illegal Drugs, Other Anomalies

Dogs have been used for their sense of smell throughout history. Many breeds were developed expressly to aid in hunting foxes and rabbits. Bloodhounds have been deployed to help police hunt down people who are either on the run or missing for years.

Dogs may now be taught to recognize a wide range of odors. Human remains, guns, explosives, and even exotic species can all be found with them.

Dogs are also adept at sniffing out illegal substances.

Australian Criminal Law Group explained that the dog's training usually starts with a link between the smell and the dog's favorite toy. The dog eventually learns to associate the drug's aroma with its toy. The pooch is rewarded with cookies as it learns to recognize various odors. The dog is motivated to succeed as a result of the positive reward. Success becomes a sufficient reward at some point.

It's important to realize that a dog sniffing at you is simply hunting for its toy and trying to be a good dog. The dog has no concept of drugs or legality; it is simply following its training. Even if it detects something, it is not trained to attack or harm you.

Sniffer dogs use a variety of methods to alert their handler to the presence of a scent. Drug sniffing dogs and those trained to detect fresh fruit at airports may paw at the location where they detect something. Bomb-sniffing dogs, on the other hand, will be content to sit and wait. The dog and its handler could be in grave danger if they paw at an explosive.

Check out more news and information on Animals in Science Times.