Banana-drama as South American frog found 5,000 miles from home in Llanelli supermarket fruit

The frog has travelled 5,000 miles in the bunch of fruit from Colombia in South America to Llanelli. Credit: RSPCA Cymru

A supermarket worker in Llanelli, south Wales, was shocked to find a stowaway in a bunch of bananas from Colombia, South America.

A frog had hitched a ride in the fruit, travelling 5,000 miles and ending up at the Asda supermarket on Murray Street.

The RSPCA were called and the frog is now safe and well in a specialist marine facility in Haverfordwest.

The animal welfare charity thanked staff at the supermarket for their quick-thinking which enabled them to keep the frog safe.

Amphibians are capable of slowing their metabolism and this is believed to be how the frog survived the long journey into a foreign, cooler climate without food and water.

The frog was found inside a bunch of bananas that had come from Colombia. Credit: RSPCA Cymru

After finding the unusual discovery, staff called the RSPCA who came to collect the animal.

The frog, nicknamed 'Asda' after the site of its discovery, has been transferred to a marine life specialist centre in Haverfordwest. It will live in a special planted, humid environment there.

It can be difficult to identify species of frog but staff at the Silent World Zoo To You marine facility think their new resident is a Banana Tree Frog.

Gemma Cooper, an inspector for the RSPCA said: "I thought I'd seen everything working for the RSPCA - but this banana-drama was a new one for me.

 "We're so grateful to the members of the Asda team who contacted us. One team member spotted the frog, while another confined the frog and took him home. This quick thinking helped keep this frog safe."

The frog had travelled 5,000 miles in the bunch of bananas before ending up in a supermarket in Llanelli. Credit: RSPCA Cymru

Ginny Spenceley, who works at the frog's new home said discovering something extra in a fruit delivery was not as unusual as people think. She said: "This isn't as rare a discovery as people may think. With fruit deliveries no longer sprayed or treated, it isn't uncommon for a frog or spider to hitch a ride."Fortunately, he’s doing really well and, funnily enough, got very comfortable in a banana skin as we helped settle him into his new, less familiar surroundings."

Colombia is the UK's biggest supplier of bananas, with hundreds of thousands of tonnes of the fruit imported every year.

An Asda spokesperson said: "We are pleased that Asda the frog is safe and well and hope he enjoys his hoppy new home."