An Australian zoo is asking the public to help by capturing and donating one of the world’s deadliest spiders.
The Australian Reptile Park in Sydney needs Sydney funnel-web spiders for its anti-venom program. This program extracts venom from the spiders to create life-saving antidotes for spider bites.
Funnel-web spiders are highly venomous, with the male Sydney funnel-web spider being one of the most dangerous. Their venom can cause severe illness or even death if untreated. However, since the park began its anti-venom program in 1981, there have been no recorded deaths from bites.
To create the antidote, experts “milk” the spiders’ fangs to collect venom. This is a delicate process that must be repeated many times to gather enough venom for treatment. Because of this, the park relies on public donations to keep the program running.
Spider keeper Emma Teni has urged Australians to be cautious when capturing the spiders.
