Mother finds ‘bird skeleton’ in her Target Christmas tree

A family got a creepy surprise when they opened the box of their Christmas tree to discover the remains of a dead bird.

Perth mother Dannielle Chalmers said she bought the brand new grey plastic tree from Target and was shocked by the grisly find.

Perched on one of its branches was what she claimed was the skeleton of a small bird that ‘must have gotten trapped inside’.

The tree was manufactured and boxed in Asia, where the bird likely became trapped and died and decomposed during the weeks of shipping and display in store

Ms Chalmers said she contacted the shopping chain which told her it ‘happened sometimes’ and she was offered a full refund.

The tree was manufactured and boxed in Asia, where the bird likely became trapped and died and decomposed during the weeks of shipping and display in store.

The disgusted mum also called quarantine as she was concerned the stowaway could carry something that would impact Australia’s biosecurity.

The Agriculture Department told Daily Mail Australia it was aware of instances where live birds were found inside mail items or cargo sent from overseas.

The Perth mother said she bought the brand new grey plastic tree from Target and was shocked by the grisly find (stock image of Target Christmas tree sale)

‘Birds that arrive in Australia from overseas in cargo or mail can pose a range of biosecurity risks. They could be carrying pests or diseases that can impact on animal and human health,’ it said.

‘Australia’s biosecurity system helps manage the risk of pests and disease arriving in Australia through international mail and cargo.

‘However, the public has an important role to play in safeguarding Australia from biosecurity pests and diseases, and community members are urged to report all suspected biosecurity concerns.’

Daily Mail Australia contacted Target but failed to respond to a request for comment other than to ask what the deadline was.