Myleene Klass criticised after claiming she released giant exotic crab on Hampstead Heath

The BBQ Champ presenter claims she returned to the UK with the giant crustacean in her suitcase
Stowaway: Myleene Klass claims to have found a giant crab in her suitcase
Stuart C. Wilson/Getty
Emma Powell18 September 2015
The Weekender

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TV personality Myleene Klass has been criticised by wildlife campaigners after claiming that she released a giant exotic crab on Hampstead Heath.

Klass, 37, said that she found the crustacean – which is believed to be a coconut crab – in her suitcase after returning from filming Singing in the Rainforest on the Pacific island of Mogmog.

Speaking to a reporter the BBQ Champ presenter admitted: “I don't know if somebody packed this or what but in my bag when I got home was a giant crab. They must be hardy these crabs, it made it all the way back.

Crustacean: The crab is believed to be a coconut crab
William West/AFP/Getty

“I kept thinking ‘I've got to let this crab go free because it is not very happy here in Highgate’. So we let it free on Hampstead Heath - I've probably ruined the eco system.”

Klass said that she contacted the London Aquarium for help with how to deal with the crab before releasing it.

But a representative for Klass has told the Evening Standard that the former I'm A Celebrity contestant joked about releasing it on Hampstead Heath.

Rachel Jones, head of the aquarium at London Zoo, confirmed that the crustacean was almost definitely a coconut crab and that if it was released, then it could pose a threat to native wildlife.

“It lives in trees and does run around and gets into all sorts of places,” she told the Daily Mail. “They have big jaws that can crack open coconut shells, and they also feast on rats and other crabs.”

“They can get pretty big, with a span of around 60 to 70 centimetres. They are scary looking things.

“The best thing that can happen is they die a horrible death. The worst thing is they will start killing native species.”

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