Gerrard Kaonga
South Korean athletes returning from the Paris Olympics can expect a bit of an odd welcome at the airport from sniffer dogs on a specific mission.
The Olympics is always a wonderful affair for the viewers and for the athletes competing, it can be the start of the rest of their lives.
Some athletes, who do end up bringing home the top prize, can go from a relatively unknown person to the biggest name in sports practically overnight.
But beyond all the glory, many take great pride in simply representing their country and are often welcomed home as champions, regardless of the end result.
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But if you are a South Korean athlete who competed in the Paris 2024 Olympics, you might be met with quite an odd visitor at the airport, sniffer dogs.
Now, the sniffer dogs aren't part of some elaborate celebration or a very inside joke between all those involved, no, these dogs are searching for one particular thing.
And before you get ahead of yourself, it isn't drugs - though I imagine you could get into quite a bit of trouble if you go from international athlete to international drug smuggler.
But these specific sniffer dogs are on the hunt for bedbugs. Well, maybe I should say sniffer dog, because according to pest control company Cesco there is only one dog, Ceco, that can sniff out the annoying pests.
The two-year-old Beagle is the first and so far only canine trained in the country to detect the odor of pheromones, the chemicals released by bedbugs.
But why bed bugs? Well, for those of you with short memories, Paris was pretty much preyed upon by a massive infestation of bed bugs back in 2023.
People in Paris were left horrified after spotting the insects on trains, metro carriages and ended up always double-checking their seats. Videos of the critters in odd places quickly went viral on social media last year as well.
Bedbugs will commonly live in warm, secluded places with fabric, obviously including beds. They can also hide between floorboards, in electrical sockets, or even behind wallpaper in some cases.
It seems South Korea is simply not taking any chances and are trying to prevent a problem before there is one.
A government press release said: "As the global community is gathering in Paris, France, on the occasion of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, there's a chance bedbugs will enter the country following the event.
"Therefore, we are taking a preemptive response to intercept the entry through the Incheon International Airport, which is the main gateway to the country."
Guess it makes sense to get ahead of the problem, but let's hope the South Korean athletes get a hero's welcome as well.