ATLANTA -- Security officers found 30 dead snakes in the luggage of an airline passenger at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials said the passenger had just arrived on a flight from Seoul, South Korea.

TSA officers Christopher Hendericks and Dennis Madaris made the startling discovery while searching the passenger’s checked packages at the airport. In addition to the snakes they found a dead bird and pieces of several other birds packed inside several jars and bottles.

"I have found snakes before but what surprised me about this was how many there were," Hendericks said.

Security Manager Sharnette Everson praised how Hendericks and Madaris handled the discovery. "They knew right away to call attention to what they found," she said.

"You can find animals, animal parts, anything on flights that arrive from overseas, so we have been trained on what to look for and how to safely handle what we find," Madaris said.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was alerted because the reptiles are protected by the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species. The passenger faces a fine for violating the convention.

The bird parts and snakes were turned over to the Fish and Wildlife Service.