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Huntsman spider found in Sevenoaks prompting RSPCA call out

A giant exotic spider has been taken away by the RSPCA and quarantined after being spotted clinging to the wall of a Sevenoaks home.

The huntsman spider — which was the size of the inspector's hand — was discovered clinging to a wall in The Meadway.

RSPCA animal collection officer Louis Horton said: “I honestly expected to get there and find a big house spider or a toy spider or something silly but it was a huntsman.

The Huntsman spider was found on the wall of a house in Sevenoaks
The Huntsman spider was found on the wall of a house in Sevenoaks

“It wasn’t a giant huntsman but was big enough, it was about the size of the palm of my hand so it wasn’t the usual spider you’d expect to find in your house.

“It was clinging to the outside wall of the man’s house and he said it had barely moved since he first spotted it.

“I removed it, confined it in a box and took it to experts at Heathrow’s Animal Reception Centre to be quarantined.

The spider was taken away by the RSPCA
The spider was taken away by the RSPCA

“Huntsman spiders can give a nasty bite so they were lucky they didn’t get hurt.

“We would advise anyone who comes across any animal in distress to contact our 24-hour emergency line on 0300 1234 999.”

Huntsman spiders originate in parts of Australasia, Africa, Asia, the Mediterranean Basin and the Americas, and the giant variety can grow to up to 15cm in leg span.

It is not generally considered dangerous to humans and it is unclear how the spider got to Sevenoaks.

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