As animal lovers, rescue stories are some of the best. It’s always uplifting and heartwarming to hear stories of animals getting a second chance in life. Usually, we think of cats or dogs, maybe a deer, or even a turtle when it comes to more well-known rescue stories – not a giant arachnid.
On a day like any other, one woman stumbled upon a critter that most of us would scream and run from – but she ended up saving its life.
While a woman was out walking her dogs in Giltbrook, England, she passed a dumpster and noticed something inside of it that caught her interest – it was an animal cage or tank of some sort. As she got closer – she was stunned to see a large tarantula crawling inside.
“I was curious so I had a closer look, expecting it to be a mouse, and I was very surprised to see a tarantula in there,” the woman said in a press release. “The spider was clinging onto the side of the bin bag. I went home to my husband and asked him to come and look — he couldn’t believe it either. It’s not something you expect to find in a public bin.”
The woman and her husband called the RSPCA for assistance and inspector Teresa Potter went to investigate the situation.
“It’s rare that we get reports of tarantulas in public so as I was making my way there, I was sure it would be a plastic toy or maybe just a piece of litter!” Inspector Potter said in the press release.
She carefully removed the tarantula from the trash bin and took it to a veterinary specialist who identified it is a Brazilian white knee tarantula. These types of spider are commonly kept as pets and can grow up to 8-inches long. Although tarantulas are capable of biting, their normal defense is flicking up hairs from its abdomen, irritating eyes, skin and lungs.
Although the tarantula was now rescued from the trash bin, the sad fact remained that the poor guy had been tossed away like garbage.
“There was also a broken tank in the bin, so whoever dumped this spider just carelessly tossed the spider and their home in this bin without any thought for their welfare,” Potter added.
Thankfully, the large, hairy spider has found its way to a new home with someone who will care for it properly. The tarantula certainly would have never survived on its own for very long.
“These tarantulas live in a warm and humid environment in the wild and need the same provided in captivity, to meet their needs and keep them healthy,” she said.
“It is likely that the spider was an unwanted pet which someone decided to dispose of for whatever reason. We would recommend that anyone interested in keeping a tarantula as a pet thoroughly research the particular species’ needs carefully first before deciding to get one, so they know what is involved and how long it is likely to be for.”
RSPCA sees exotic pets end up in their care far too often. People buy them as a novelty without realizing how much care and attention they’ll need. Exotic animals need a place to live that mimics their natural environment. People also don’t realize that they often have a long lifespan, become aggressive, or require paperwork.
For more information about exotic animals as pets, visit the RSPCA’s website.
If you’d like to donate to the RSPCA for their efforts, you can do so by giving here.
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