A large heap of raw chicken meat surprised and disgusted passengers at a US airport when it rolled into the arrivals lobby.
A video of the greasy stack shows what appears to be drumsticks and chicken legs making their way around the conveyor belt from the airport in Seattle, Washington.
It seems to be congealed in a vaguely box like shape, having apparently fallen from a tilted cool box.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) shared a clip of the fetid mound, which shows curious passengers standing quizzically nearby.
“There is a personal fowl on the carousel,” a spokesperson for the administration punned.
“Can chickens fly? Well… assuredly no poultry is flying like this. We hear at one time these wings and thighs were cooped up in a cooler.
“Somewhere between baggage and the carousel they became free range.”
The chicken pile — which appeared to maintain the shape of the container it was originally packed in — rode the carousel just inches away from suitcases.
In a message to travellers planning to bring perishable items on future flights, the TSA added: “Don’t wing your travel packing.
“In order to keep from ruffling any feathers meat should be properly packaged. Ice or dry ice is permitted to keep the flock chilled.”
They added: “They’ll take your raw travel questions and cook out an egg-cellent answer.
“#RawStory#CubedFowl#ChickensCanFly#ChillFlock#AskTSA.”
The video, which has been viewed close to half a million times, stirred a strong reaction.
“Imagine pulling that off the carousel as the owner,” one woman wrote.
Another added: “I see salmonella everywhere. I feel bad for maintenance/cleaning people.
“People really NEED to check poultry or anything perishable on their trips?”
A third said: “Enough to convert me to veganism…”
Following the incident, a TSA spokesperson told Newsweek : “Our understanding is that it fell out of a cooler behind the block of chicken (and you can see the chicken is still in cooler shape).
“Our guess is that the owner did not think about the lid coming open and did not tape it securely enough.”