OTTAWA - Three intruders managed to circumvent the strict security at the Bank of Canada, gaining entrance to the building and squatting in an area that has been undergoing renovations, CTV News has learned - though it's likely they only went undetected due to their small size and ability to camouflage.
The Bank, it turns out, got more than it bargained for with an order of exotic plants that included some fauna along with the flora.
"To the best of our knowledge, three geckos have been found in garden plants and trees that were recently installed in the Bank of Canada’s Wellington Street head office,” Jeremy Harrison, the bank’s spokesman, told CTV News.
The scaly stowaways were discovered in the Garden Court, an indoor refuge filled with tropical plants well-known around Ottawa for providing a welcome break from winter. The geckos would have likely been useful in the summer, as they can be used for natural pest control.
It is believed the tropical intruders hitched a ride from their original home in Florida, where the plants and trees were grown.
Harrison notes it's a common occurrence when importing plants, and the discovery of the geckos came as "part of the careful management of indoor garden eco-systems."
The Bank of Canada told CTV News all federal regulations and importation processes were followed in purchasing and shipping the plants.
CTV News was unable to confirm whether the geckos deliberately snuck into the shipment or if they were caught unaware and unable to escape. Sources say it is unclear whether the geckos knew their final destination would be one of the coldest capital cities in the world.
As to the fate of the geckos, the Bank of Canada spokesman says they were captured by the bank’s horticulture provider who "removed and safely rehoused the three geckos in question," and that they remain in the care of a horticulturalist.
Fortunately, the sticky-fingered lizards weren't on the lam long: according to a bank source, the geckos were captured shortly after their arrival, approximately one month ago.
It doesn’t appear bank employees will be sharing their garden with any other creatures that might enhance the realism of the tropical experience.
"No further wildlife has been discovered," Harrison said.
