A giant Huntsman spider from Japan was found by workers who opened a shipping container in the UK.
It scuttled out when staff at a storage company in Old Newton, near Stowmarket, Suffolk, opened the container to unload it on Friday January 13.
RSPCA officer Naemi Kilbey, who was called to collect the stowaway, said: « Workers who found the spider definitely thought it was a Friday the 13th jinx.
« I must admit I’d get a bit of a shock if I was unloading some stock and a huge Huntsman spider crawled out! »
Huntsman spiders, usually from Australia, can grow to more than 6in (15cm) in size but are generally harmless.
While a bite from a Huntsman could cause some pain and discomfort, they are not a highly venomous species.
The spider was confined in the container by the workers, collected by the RSPCA and taken to a local exotic animal specialist who will keep it.
