Save a Spider and help the Ecosystem
Friday 14th March is Save a Spider Day and Drusillas Park’s very own Spiderwoman, Angela Hale has been revealing some fascinating facts about these fearsome creatures in an effort to show people why it is so important to protect one of nature’s most important terrestrial predators.
Known as Tarangela amongst her colleagues, Angela knows almost all there is to know about arachnids. In addition to her work at the zoo in East Sussex, she is also the secretary of the British Tarantula Society and has spent over thirty years studying and identifying our native eight legged friends; she even keeps a collection of over 150 spiders at home in her spare bedroom.
Angela commented: “Here in the UK we have over 800 different types of spider and none of them are dangerous to humans. On the contrary they are helpful and harmless creatures but despite this fact, these incredible animals inspire fear in many and have a terrible reputation.”
“What people don’t always realise is that spiders are an integral part of our ecosystem and actually work to help us. They eat the insects on plants but never the plants, making them a garden’s greatest ally. However even more importantly, these little wonders consume countless crop-destroying, disease-carrying insects annually saving both livelihoods and lives.”
“Save a Spider Day was created to encourage people not to kill a spider when they find them in their homes and instead move them outside. If you do discover an unwanted guest, please bear in mind the wonderful work they do. Take the time to remove it humanely by carefully placing a glass over the spider and pushing a piece of paper underneath gently; you can then move it to the garden and be a superhero too!”
Later this year, Angela will be helping people overcome their fears of these eight-legged animals still further when she hosts Arachnophobia Day at Drusillas Park on Sunday 28th September. The event includes gradual and controlled exposure to spiders and aims to help people reduce their anxiety and leave with a better understanding of these much maligned creatures. To find out more please telephone 01323 874100.