The poisonous Sydney funnel-web spider is milked for its venom.
A zoo’s request for the public’s help capturing one of the world’s deadliest spiders sounds more like a premise for a superhero origin story than a real call to action.
The Australian Reptile Park in Sydney hopes it can convince locals to catch and donate Atrax robustus , commonly known as Sydney funnel-web spiders, so they can be milked for their venom. Anti-venom — a medication made from spider and snake venom that’s used to treat venomous bites and stings — is in short supply due to a run of spider bites, while funnel-web spider activity is on the rise, the park says.
