They're vicious, hairy, up to three inches long and have venomous fangs strong enough to pierce human skin. Oh, and there are thousands of them. The poisonous spiders were discovered in an underground maintenance tunnel in Windsor Great Park. Yes, the same Windsor park next to Windsor Castle. British Telecom workers opened a manhole and found cables swarming with the spiders. "They're large and there are many of them," said a BT spokesman.
Entomologists (scientists who study insects) believe these spiders are of a species that was thought to be extinct for thousands of years. Graham Smith is a member of the conservation team, Project-ARK, an organization that protects endangered species. He says these rare spiders might even attack. "The species is certainly venomous. There could literally be thousands and thousands of them," he explained. "It would be no surprise if they are living underneath Windsor Castle itself."
Nobody knows how long the spiders have been there. Since they might be an endangered species, they can't be killed. Even if they could, fumigating (killing bugs with chemicals) them would be risky. It might spread the spiders further out. As long as no one knows what type of spider they are, the spiders don't have to move. Until something can be done, locals have been warned not to touch the spiders.
Does the sight of a spider send you screaming in terror? Or do you collect them and put them in your little sister's bed at night? We want to hear from you.
