If your neighbors moved away and you noticed that they had left their pet dog, cat or bird behind, you would probably do something to rescue the neglected animal. But what if it was a tarantula?
Police in Amityville, New York, discovered that someone had abandoned a tarantula in a plastic container on someone’s front porch. The local SPCA safely recovered the rose-haired tarantula and the big arachnid has been transported to a wildlife sanctuary in Massachusetts.
The South American rose-haired tarantula is an extremely common variety of pet spider in the United States, and females can live between 15 to 20 years in captivity. This rescued tarantula was around four inches wide, and it could have seriously harmed an inexperienced handler with its powerful, venomous bite.
It’s a good thing that the tarantula was saved, especially since it’s still pretty chilly in New York. I don’t think it would have lasted too long without the help that it received. It’s a feel-good story for everyone, except for the person who had a tarantula appear at their front door!
Sources: Wall Street Journal, CBS New York
