Large Chinese mitten crab crawls into German woman's home

BERLIN — Police in southern Germany say a woman got a shock while airing out her home when a 10-inch Chinese mitten crab scurried in from the terrace through the open door.

Freiburg police said Thursday that they received a call reporting the unwanted home invader in the nearby town of Unterlauchringen, near the Swiss border, the previous morning.

Before they arrived, police say, the woman captured the crustacean by putting an upside-down garbage can on top of it.

Officers were able to put the crab into a container and then take it to a local veterinary clinic.

The invasive species, native to Asia, is now found in many rivers in Germany, and the woman’s residence was not far from the Rhine, though the Chinese mitten crab has never been reported in the area before. They’re not considered dangerous.