A tiny hermit crab has had quite the travel adventure after accidentally finding itself hundreds of kilometres from home, eventually catching an Airlink flight back to the coast.
The crab’s shell, presumed to be empty, was picked up by a child at Kidd’s Beach near East London and taken home to Johannesburg. After returning home, the family discovered there was a tiny passenger still living inside, they contacted the SPCA in Randburg for help.
The SPCA contacted Airlink, which arranged to fly the hermit crab, appropriately named Shell-vis Presley by SPCA members, back to its seawater home.
Shell-vis travelled in a secure package and safely touched down in East London on Saturday, August 15. His journey home was guided by a team of wildlife experts, including representatives from the Eastern Cape fisheries.
“It may have been one tiny crab, but every animal life matters, no matter how small,” the SPCA said
