A routine grocery trip turned into an unforgettable surprise in Western Australia after a live frog was discovered inside a sealed bag of lettuce bought from a Woolworths supermarket in Esperance.
The unusual incident happened in the remote coastal town of Esperance, located around 700 kilometres south-east of Perth. New Zealand couple Laura Jones and Billie Le Pine said their flatmate had just returned home from shopping when he noticed something moving inside the packaged salad.
Speaking to ABC Perth, Ms Jones said the moment caught everyone completely off guard.
“Our flatmates came home, and he’s the most casual Australian ever, and he’s like, ‘Bro, I’ve got a lettuce, like a frog in my lettuce,’” she said.
At first, the group thought he was joking. But after taking a closer look, they found a small green frog alive inside the plastic bag. In a video later shared online, the frog could be seen sitting among the lettuce leaves while still sealed inside the packaging.
The clip quickly spread across social media, with many Australians shocked that the animal had survived the long journey through the country’s produce supply chain.
Frog Likely Travelled From Eastern Australia
Mr Le Pine said the frog was around the size of his palm and likely arrived in Esperance through vegetable shipments transported from eastern Australia.
“It would have probably come from east. Most of our vegetables come from eastern Australia to Esperance,” he explained.
He also joked that the frog may have survived thanks to the small air holes built into the lettuce packaging.
“The bag of lettuce does have holes in it to keep the produce fresh, so he had a snack and some air on his way over,” he said.
Esperance is one of Western Australia’s more isolated regional towns, meaning supermarkets often rely on produce transported across thousands of kilometres. While strict quality checks exist, wildlife occasionally makes its way into fresh produce during harvesting and packaging.
According to Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), fresh produce suppliers are required to follow food safety procedures involving washing, inspection, and contamination controls before products are distributed to stores.
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Housemates Named the Frog “Greg”
Instead of harming the frog, the group decided to safely release it back into nature. Ms Jones said their flatmate opened the lettuce bag outside the house near a local dam.
“We got him some fresh air, and then he released it with the lettuce,” she said.
“We live close to a dam … [he] had a little swim around with his lettuce … and away he hopped.”
The group even gave the frog a nickname — Greg.
Mr Le Pine described the entire situation as one of the strangest experiences he had ever had while unpacking groceries.
“That was the most random thing I’ve ever encountered while opening a bag of lettuce,” he said.
“I’m just glad Greg is back in his natural habitat.”
Woolworths Responds After Viral Video
Following the viral attention online, Woolworths confirmed it had launched an internal investigation into the incident with suppliers “as a priority”.
The supermarket chain described the discovery as an isolated case and said no similar reports had been received.
“Woolworths takes product quality and food safety very seriously,” the company said in a statement.
“For heads of lettuce, this involves washing and a number of quality checks, which include checking for foreign materials, before they are packaged and sent to our stores.”
This is not the first time unexpected creatures have been found in packaged supermarket produce. In 2016, another viral social media video showed a large spider discovered inside a pre-packaged salad product sold at Woolworths.
Incidents involving wildlife inside packaged food often attract massive online attention because they highlight the hidden challenges of large-scale farming and food distribution. Experts still recommend washing fresh vegetables thoroughly before eating, even when products are labelled as pre-washed.
For more Australia wildlife and unusual news stories, readers can also check Swikblog’s recent coverage of the dolphin spotted swimming through Melbourne’s Yarra River near the CBD.
As for Greg the frog, his accidental cross-country journey inside a lettuce bag has already made him one of Australia’s most unexpected viral stars of the week.
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