GIANT SPIDERS AS PETS

Evening Star, Issue 18144, 7 December 1922, Page 8

GIANT SPIDERS AS PETS

■ EXPERIMENT AT ZOO, Two giant poisonous bird-eating spiders —each of them Bin across—have just been tamod at the London Zoo as a result of an unusually interesting experiment. Theoretically, it was held that they should become so accustomed to the scent of a person’s hand as to refrain from attacking that person. But who was to put the theory to the tost? One or two people connected l with the insect house at length came forward. The young keeper in that house was among the plucky venturers. lie began by placing his hand a few inches away from one of the formidable-looking spiders, which had just cast its brown coat for one of beautiful glossy blue or green-black. The insert instantly reared itself to strike—ondi just as promptly was the hand withdrawn. After allowing a sufficient interval for Iho enraged spider to calm down, the young keeper again ventured to repeat his risky experiment. And again the hairy giant reared itself. The hand. -on that occasion, hoivever, was withdrawn slowly. The next time the experiment was tried the spider showed no irritation whatever, and eventually it went so far as to crawl on to the proffered hand and remain there for as long as over it was allowed, showing a (remarkable friendliness. It had been guided, apparently, into this feeling of security by its sense' of smell. Later on the ,\oung keeper allowed this poisonous giant spider lo remain on the back of his hand for a full quarter of an hour. He declared it to be the biggest pet of any under hia care.