Catering staff at the Royal Free Hospital in Camden were scared stiff when they found a tarantula hidden in a bunch of bananas while unloading a shipment at the north London hospital on Thursday.
The spider had travelled more than 5,400 miles from its likely home in Costa Rica to the London hospital. The staff were able to capture the lost and confused spider and called an RSPCA inspector, Anthony Pulfer, to take care of it. “I think they got a bit of a shock when they saw this big spider among the bananas" he said and continued, “I’m sure staff at the hospital are used to seeing their fair share of drama but not usually of the eight-legged variety.”
The tarantula is believed to be a Costa Rican tiger rump tarantula and has been taken to the RSPCA’s Harmsworth Animal Hospital for a check-up and then will go to the RSPCA's exotic facility.
