5 Weirdest Cargoes Ever Carried

For many reasons, cargo has been transported back and forth around the world for centuries. Most of the items that you can carry with you are critical or at least useful for everyday life. In our modern world, we are accustomed to using and consuming many items that do not belong to our country.

The same goes for countries around the world. In one day, you can wear clothes from one country, eat food from another, and use electronics made in a third country. We don't think about it anymore.

However, among these many items, we found strange, very valuable things. Read on for a list of the 5 strangest cargoes ever carried by plane, train, or car.

5 PHOTOS

1. Transportation of the spacecraft.

For 40 years, NASA has been tethering space shuttles on top of heavily converted Boeing 747 liners. This was originally for aerodynamic testing.

2. The remains of dinosaurs.

Trains and ships often carry huge amounts of oil, coal, or natural gas. All of these things are fossil fuels and are therefore made up of prehistoric plants, forests, and microorganisms, along with dinosaur footprints.

3. Fish worth its weight in gold.

International cargo specialist CAL Cargo Airlines says that any cargo over $2,200 per pound is labeled as "valuable cargo". And in Japan, where koi carp (a bit like a giant goldfish!) is big business, these fish are much more valued. Live specimens are regularly delivered to collectors around the world. In 2018, a koi named S Legend sold for a record $1.8 million.

4. Invasion of Britain.

In the 1870s, crates of gray squirrels were sent from North America to London as fashionable gifts. It seemed strange, but the "harmless" cargo was to be the most successful invasion of Britain when the little rascals quickly fled. Within a few decades, they wiped out most of the local population (the much more timid red squirrel) through competition and the spread of the deadly squirrel pox virus. There is a lot of debate about what to do about these invasive species, as it is very important for the ecosystem to keep the forest healthy.

5. Funny and scary.

A 60-year-old Taiwanese woman returning from China was seen walking strangely while passing through a seaport customs checkpoint after her vacation. What do you think they found on closer inspection? Under her skirt, they found twenty-four gerbils glued to her thighs. The woman claimed they were gifts for her friends, but authorities believed she was checking port security before smuggling drugs.