Australia Zoo Asks Public For Help Collecting Deadly Spiders so Experts Can 'Milk' Arachnids

A zoo in Australia is enlisting the public's help to catch and collect deadly funnel-web spiders to save lives. 

The Australian Reptile Park, located near Sydney, Australia, shared on social media that it needs the venomous spiders — considered one of the most dangerous species in Australia, per CNN — and their eggs for its "life-saving antivenom program," which sees expert "milk" collected spiders for their venom. The venom is then used to create an antivenom for those bit by a funnel-web spider.

"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," the zoo's spider keeper, Emma Teni, said in a statement to CNN.

Teni added that the zoo is relying "on spider donations more than ever." Egg sacs are particularly useful as they contain about 150-200 spiders. She also noted that it is currently "breeding season" for funnel-web spiders near Sydney, and the current weather has created "ideal conditions" for finding and collecting the arachnids.

In a video posted on the Australian Reptile Park’s website on safely collecting funnel-web spider egg sacs, Teni shared that the sacs are often found in “shady areas with sloping ground,” where the creatures “love to hide.” She said they can also be found in “bushland” and “backyards” of the Central Coast and some suburban areas.

Teni also noted that people should “be cautious of adult spiders in the area,” wear enclosed shoes, and “maintain a safe distance” between themselves and a spider at all times” when they are collecting the egg sacs. 

The Australian Reptile Park recommends using a spoon to scoop the funnel-web spiders’ egg sacs into a “smooth container” with a secure lid, as funnel-web spiders “cannot climb up smooth pored surfaces” such as plastic or glass, according to Teni. She also warned that if a spider gets attached to the egg sac, keep them together and scoop them both in the container.

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"We want to encourage the spider with her egg sac into the jar in one movement, trying not to make her so angry that she destroys the egg sac," Teni said.

She noted that people should also add a small amount of damp soil to the container before dropping it off at one of the zoo's collection centers, which are located at several hospitals and wildlife parks in Sydney, Newcastle, and the Central Coast.

The zoo’s “life-saving antivenom program” has significantly impacted many. One woman, Nicole Webber, shared under the zoo’s social media post that the antivenom “saved” her “life in 1994” and encouraged others to “support the program.”

Another woman, Karen Wright, noted that the program saved her son Matthew’s life in 1995 and that she was “grateful” for the program and the work people did to support it. 

Funnel-web spiders vary in length and have a black to brown color, according to the Australian Museum. Additionally, there have been no recorded deaths from a funnel-web spider bite since the introduction of antivenom in 1981.