Zoo celebrates release of thousands of ‘giant spiders’ into the wild

Chester Zoo is celebrating a monumental achievement.

An English zoo celebrated 10 years since they released thousands of giant swamp raft spiders into the United Kingdom after the species nearly went extinct, Chester Zoo wrote. Facebook.

“Ten years ago we helped release THOUSANDS OF GIANT spiders back into the UK,” the zoo captioned its congratulatory post. “The raft spiders were bred right here at the zoo, and we are thrilled to report that there are now over 10,000 breeding females… and they just had their biggest mating season ever!”

Zoo officials continued the post by emphasizing the arachnids’ large size, saying the spiders “can grow to the size of your hand!”

“Honestly, you’re welcome,” Chester Zoo playfully concluded.

In August press releaseChester Zoo has detailed its efforts to save the marsh spider from extinction after “people destroyed its wetland home”. The zoo’s team of experts first collected “hundreds of baby spiders” into individual tubes to ensure their safety as part of a rescue program with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

From there, the zoo cared for the young spiders until they were “strong enough to be returned to their natural habitat.”

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RSPB site manager Tim Strudwick recently spoke BBC about the meaning of the species. “These spiders play an important role in preserving the rich aquatic diversity found in the grasslands of our reserves,” he said.

The animal rights activist also noted that female spiders are “really special.”

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According to Discover the wild natureSwamp raft spiders typically eat other spiders, dragonflies, dragonfly larvae, and tadpoles. Spiders are brown with white or cream stripes along the body. Despite their terrifying size, they are harmless to humans.

London Zoo states that the spiders have only been found in East Anglia, Sussex and South Wales in England, with small populations in Central Europe.

International Union for Conservation of Nature currently considers the species “vulnerable” due to declining habitat and adult spider populations.