PAIR OF BIRD-EATING TARANTULAS ESCAPE
Ditched spiders leg it from a car park
BIRD-EATING tarantulas which grow as big as dinner plates may be on the loose in a village.
The Brazilian spiders are thought to have fled when a vehicle hit their pots which had been left in a car park.
The part-pink species is among the largest in the world, with a leg span of up to 10 inches in adulthood.
They usually live in rainforests, eating insects, lizards, mice and small birds.
The RSPCA said: “It appears someone ran over two pots and the driver told the woman who called us he thought he saw two larger spiders. No bodies were found so it is assumed they may have escaped.”
RSPCA inspector Kristy Ludlam, who attended the scene in Somercotes, Derbys, said: “The woman who contacted us was shaken She’s terrified [of spiders].”
Ms Ludlam added: “We took the pots to a specialist who found three arachnids which he believes are bird-eating spiders. “When he opened one pot a spider ran up his arm. The spiders would have died had they not been found.” The RSPCA has warned people not to approach or handle the spiders which can bite. Sarah Towndrow, who owns a nearby kennels and cattery, said: “Two workers ran around screaming when they heard the news. We’re going to search to make sure they’re not here.”