Hampshire mother calls RSPCA to deal with toy tarantula

Hampshire mother calls RSPCA to deal with toy tarantula



A mother was left red-faced when she called the RSCPA to deal with a gigantic tarantula – only for them to discover it was a toy.

The unnamed woman was terrified when she spotted legs poking out from behind her vacuum cleaner in the cupboard under the stairs.

She called the RSCPA who rushed to her home in Alresford, Hampshire to take on the fearsome creature last week.

But when wildlife inspectors went to capture it, they realised it was just a toy.



RSPCA employee Nikki Denham said: 'The caller had stated there was a tarantula the size of her hand in the under-stairs cupboard.

'She had left it in there not touching it and called us for assistance.

'I turned up with gloves and nets to confine the creature and the woman left me to it, shutting doors around me to prevent its escape.



'It was dark under the stairs but I could see legs behind a vacuum cleaner that certainly were tarantula size, however as I shone light in I could see that it was in fact a toy plastic tarantula.'

When the woman questioned her young son he admitted it was his with an 'angelic smile'.

Ms Denham added: 'The poor caller was obviously embarrassed but it won't be the first or last call we'll have like that I'm sure.'

A spokesman for the RSPCA said the organisation was called to rescue 275 real tarantulas last year.