Zoo Asks People to Capture Extremely Deadly Spider

The Sydney funnel-web spider is considered one of the world's deadliest spiders, with the most toxic venom of any of the dozens of funnel-web species in Australia. But instead of advising people to keep their distance, a zoo north of the city has asked the public to capture the spiders—and their babies. This is the spider's breeding season, and the Australian Reptile Park has issued its annual call for the public to collect Sydney funnel-webs that can be milked to produce antivenom, CNN reports. The zoo says capturing spiders and their egg sacs is "quite safe" if done properly.

• The zoo has issued a guide to safely collecting egg sacs—and adult spiders, if people feel "confident enough" to collect them. Using a spoon, "gently scoop the egg sac into the container—be cautious of adult spiders in the area/nest." A video shows how it is done.

• The zoo says the spiders can be found in cool, damp areas of gardens—and in places like shoes left outside. Inside, they are sometimes found in areas like laundry rooms.
• Each egg sac contains 150 to 200 spiderlings. It takes around 150 spiders to produce a dose of antivenom. Smithsonian explains the milking process: "With a glass pipette fitted onto a small vacuum, spider keepers goad a spider into rearing up and exposing its fangs in a defensive position. Tiny drops of venom soon form on the fang tips, and the keeper quickly sucks the venom through the pipette." The venom is frozen and sent to a pharmaceutical company that makes antivenom.
• No deaths have been recorded from a funnel-web bite since the zoo began its antivenom program in 1981. Nicole Webber says the antivenom saved her life after she was bitten by a funnel-web spider in her shoe 30 years ago, the Guardian reports. "Ironic when you see my surname, hey?" she says. "I started reacting with anaphylactic shock very quickly. I had sweats, double vision. … Four rounds of that magic potion is why I'm still here."

(In 2021, somebody handed in an unusually large funnel-web spider, with a body almost 2 inches across.)