Sylvie Claire / Mars 24, 2021
For several days now, part of the state of New South Wales, including parts of Sydney, has had its feet in water due to torrential rains. It is thus with relief that the inhabitants welcomed this Wednesday the return of the blue sky. But they were soon the recipients of an urgent -and alarming- warning from the authorities: they must prepare for an influx of atrax robustus, the mygale whose venom is the most violent in the world, and which is endemic to the Sydney region.
Warming temperatures and high humidity are the perfect cocktail for an explosion in the presence of atrax robustus in the next few days, Tim Faulkner, director of the Australian Reptile Park, announced in a statement.
After the incredible flooding we experienced in Greater Sydney, they have been driven out of their habitat and will move into the drier areas, he explained. This could unfortunately mean that they will be entering homes very soon.
Images of spiders fleeing flooded areas have gone viral in recent days, showing spiders climbing fences and buildings.
A particularly toxic venom that acts very quickly
The atrax robustus is known (Sydney funnel-webs spider) is feared for its particularly toxic and fast acting venom. No less than 13 human deaths due to a bite of this spider have been officially documented. However, there have been no fatal attacks since a serum was developed in the early 1980s
The Australian Reptile Park, which has stocks of the serum, has invited people who feel brave to capture the tarantula and bring it to collection areas