A reptile park in New South Wales is urging the public to capture a species of deadly spider if they come across them.
The funnel-web spider can kill a person in less than 15 minutes if urgent medical treatment isn’t received. They’re the most dangerous spider species in the Sydney area – before the antivenom was introduced in 1981, on record, 13 people have died as a result of their bites.
While nobody has died since, each November, the Australian Reptile Park issues a callout to residents to collect the spiders and their eggs if they find them in public and donate them to the park.
This might sound terrifying, but it’s for good reason: staff at the park ‘milk’ the spiders of their venom, which helps them to create antivenom to treat those unfortunate enough to have been bitten by the creature.
The callout comes each November as rising temperatures and frequent rains this time of year create the perfect weather conditions for the spiders to look for mates.
“Male funnel-web spiders have short lifespans and, with approximately 150 spiders required to make just one vial of antivenom, we need the public’s help to ensure we have enough venom to meet demand,” Emma Teni, a spider keeper at the park, said.
“If you spot an egg sac while collecting a spider, it’s important to safely collect that as well. It can provide a robust supply of healthy young spiders to aid in our antivenom production,” she continued.
Attempting to capture such a deadly spider will no doubt fill most people with dread, but the park has given instructions to capture them safely, sharing a video demonstrating the process on social media.
As shown in the video, the public is encouraged to capture the spiders in a jar or plastic container, prompting them in with a spoon.
For those on the hunt for the spiders, they’re typically found in cool, dark areas, often sitting beneath leaves and other debris outside. They’re also fond of shoes and piles of laundry.
