Sugar Glider Lost in Transit

I hate to post this for fear of worrying anyone else.. So let me first say.. I have shipped gliders to various owners myself, three times, two single gliders once and a pair of twins the third time. I have never had anything go wrong. They arrived safely, nothing happened. They weren't even overly stressed. So please don't let this single instance have any influence on your opinion of shipping. Sometimes accidents do happen, but not by any means all the time or often!

Update: Added a gallery with pics of stuff to show how it may have happened.

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Now, I'll try to share my story of yesterday. And please, keep us in your thoughts, let's hope little Enigma will still make it safely to me! But believe me.. I am BEYOND PO'd at Continental/United right now.

Yesterday(May 26th) two sugar gliders, Enigma and Shiva, were shipped to me in Milwaukee(MKE) out of Tampa(TPA). (They also went through one layover in Houston.)

I discovered today that they were dropped off in TPA at 11AM(4 hours before their flight time) on May 26th so that would've given the one plenty of time to escape if that is what happened. (Versus possible theft/opening the carrier out of curiosity and him getting loose, etc.) So potentially he may be loose in their cargo area.

I'll start from where we picked up the carrier.. We went to Milwaukee to receive the animals around 10PM last night and discovered there were two bonding pouches inside the carrier, to contain them separately, but one of them was empty and a hole had been chewed in that fleece pouch. One glider, Shiva, was safe inside the other pouch which did not have any holes in it. The carrier and all zip ties appeared to be intact. There is a small 'flap' on the top that is big enough for one to get out of(size-wise) but it would require a GREAT amount of pressure to open it wide enough. And neither myself, my boyfriend nor the gentleman at the cargo counter could figure out how the he(Enigma, the missing boy) would have had enough leverage at the top of the carrier(they are only an inch or two tall, after all, and the carrier is closer to 10) to push his way out. The front grate was covered in pet-mesh so I can not imagine he got out that way and all the ventilation holes on the sides are too small for even his head to fit through.

Here is a photo, this is the 'flap' I am speaking of. It's the part with 'MKE' on it. Again, it takes a LOT of pressure to push that open but it IS big enough in size.
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This is the pouch he escaped out of WITHIN the carrier. The inside of it and the hole. It is all made of fleece with some plastic for the window(for air) and a zipper. Gliders can pull out stitches but not chew through hard plastic(like the carrier walls), and there were no holes/damages to the carrier that I saw. (From the pics you can see the pouch you can barely tell there is a hole until you LOOK for it. I took it out hoping to find Enigma inside and didn't see the hole until he was missing and I TRIED to check for problems.)
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He also had a slice of apple, as did the other glider, Shiva, that WAS still safe in the carrier, but Enigma's was untouched so I am betting he did not spend long in there and escaped early in the trip. (These are left in for hydration during the flight.)
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] (Both apples, Enigma's untouched, Shiva's, who arrived safely, down to the peel.)


Apparently they didn't even ask to SEE the animals.. which, last time I shipped through Continental(BEFORE they merged with United, which they now are, that was over a year ago) they asked me to remove them so they could see them. This worries me because people could be shipping drugs, other illegal items or even dead animals and the airline would never know because their attendants didn't care to check. That alone is a huge problem to me and I seriously need to complain to someone high up. That just isn't acceptable for a professional business, they should be checking their cargo, I'd think. I just can't logically see how he would have gotten out of the carrier once it was zip tied shut and everything.. None of the holes were big enough. So, hypothetically.. either he is loose in the Tampa Cargo Booking area, somehow, since they sat there for four hours thanks to the shipper.. or there is the potential possibility that he MAY have been stolen.. but if that's what happened.. why the hole in the pouch, why only take one, why not take the whole pouch, etcetcetc. (So few people know what they are muchless which ones are worth what.) And we didn't see any signs of tampering on the carrier but the zip ties could've easily been cut and redrilled.

I am just so freaked that perhaps he's loose in their cargo area alone somewhere, and machines, humans.. so many things could so easily squish him, you know.. There's also a chance somehow that he was loose on the flight.. I just don't know right now. I am just so stressed/worried that I can't think straight. I haven't even eaten today yet. I was up until about 4 worrying, couldn't get to sleep..

I guess just.. keep Enigma in your thoughts and hope he gets back to me safely? ;_; That's all I can ask right now.

No one is 'in' at Tampa to call until tomorrow morning.. though supposedly people are there looking for him. So I can't even get a hold of anyone. The 800 number just tells me they 'are' investigating and that people 'are' supposedly looking for him at Tampa.. but given it IS a holiday weekend, I figure they would have less staff on hand.. I just don't know what to do. ): It just drives me nuts that no one REALLY seems to care. ><

I'd say, if you ship out in the future, even if they don't ask to see them bring them out anyway and let them, just to be sure.

Ok, I am done venting.. I need to go try to eat something so I stop feeling sick. X_X

OMG Kozi I am so sorry. I can't even begin to imagine how scared and worried you must be. Please keep us updated on what is happening. I will pray that he is found soon. Maybe someone near the tampa airport that has gliders could bring some pouches with a fruit bit tucked inside that they could hang around a few places for nighttime.

My thoughts are with you and Enigma. I've been keeping up with it on FB and just don't know what to think about the whole thing. I hope that he is found soon.

Thank you both, so much. I really appreciate your thoughts..

I wish, lil, no one is even in the Tampa United cargo building today apparently. D:

Oh no, Amber! I am so very deeply sorry you are going through this.
My thoughts and prayers are being sent your way.<3
*Hugs*

Thank you so much Erica. <3

I am sorry to hear that, thats terrible.
I hope he is okay, my thoughts will be with you two as well.
Hope all goes well.

Thanks so much guys.. just wanted to update..

Still no word, someone at the airline cares but I have no phone for them to call me at today, so hopefully I can talk to them soon.. Waiting to hear from the breeder as to what is going to happen now since we can't find him and there is no replacement joey, though I'd be too scared to go through this ordeal again even if there was, honestly.. -.- I am just so freaked out right now, I keep thinking about it and getting upset again even when I've calmed down..

Aww, Amber. My thoughts and prayers are still being sent your way. <3

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Any news on Enigma? I can't stop thinking about him being all alone wherever he may be. I really hope that he is safe.