KEY POINTS:
A pelican skull, duck kidneys, a stuffed cane toad and two vials of mouse tissue - it's all in a week's work for New Zealand border security staff.
The unusual haul, which also includes Tongan yams and cattle foot-bones from Mongolia, are just a few of the prohibited items people tried to bring into the country last week.
Some of the items were hidden in suitcases but most were declared at customs by passengers who weren't sure whether their holiday mementoes were able to be brought home or not.
But while the items, including Indian popcorn, crocodile meat and deer velvet from Hong Kong, may seem unusual to most, they are just the run of the mill for MAF's officers who processed 345 flights last week during routine biosecurity checks.
The officers seized 72kg of meat products and 20kg of seeds and 257kg of fresh produce. An additional 38 animal products were either treated or seized.
Operations manager Mervyn Alexander said there was a growing awareness among New Zealanders about what could and couldn't be brought home but it was more difficult getting the message to people from overseas.
Mr Alexander said things like Australian crocodile meat, pork crackling from the Philippines and various duck products were reasonably common, as were seeds and plants found last week.
Fresh produce, a major threat to New Zealand's biosecurity, is also frequently found. Mr Alexander said the concern with fresh produce was that a pest, like the fruit fly, might be introduced. Disease was a major concern with meat products.
Publicity at the airport and on flights was generally enough for most to declare any items they were carrying if in doubt.
If an item is found to be prohibited it is normally seized. In some cases the item can be treated to meet regulations.
International travellers are also sometimes given the option of having their prohibited items held at the airport until they leave the country.
Mr Alexander said the most unusual item he had come across was a live tarantula carried as cabin luggage in a shoebox.
He said the two vials of mouse tissue found last week were probably being brought into the country for scientific testing. People wanting to do research needed to get permits before bringing things into the country.
* Passengers must declare any food, plant or animal products. Failure to do so can result in an instant fine of $200 or prosecution which carries a fine of up to $100,000 or imprisonment.
