Thousands of giant spiders 'the size of a human hand' in UK after zoo set them free

Anyone who’s scared of spiders has probably had nightmares about giant ones running loose and taking over the country.

To be fair, I don’t even have a fear of the things and that really does sound like a nightmare. And it seems it almost came true, only maybe a little less dramatically than some of the images our brain conjures up.

That’s because thousands of giant spiders ‘the size of a human hand’ are crawling around the UK after a zoo set them free.

The ‘unique species’ were specially reared in individual test tubes (so they wouldn’t eat each other) and were hand-fed tiny flies using tweezers before they were released.

They're having their best year crawling around the UK (Getty Stock Image)

A decade ago, the popular Chester Zoo released thousands of fen raft spiders after they almost became extinct.

It wrote on Facebook: “Ten years ago we helped release THOUSANDS of GIANT spiders back into the UK!

“The fen raft spiders were bred right here at the zoo, and we're super happy to report there are now more than 10,000 breeding females... and they've just had the biggest mating season on record!”

And for those who might be freaking out, it even added: “You can't miss them, they grow to be the size of your hand! Honestly, you're so welcome.”

But don’t worry lads, while they might sound scary, the fen raft spider is ‘harmless’ and plays a vital role within healthy aquatic ecosystems.

Their wetland home was destroyed (Getty Stock Image)

The spiders were bred as part of a collaborative conservation breeding rescue programme in partnership with the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) which worked to restore their natural habitat.

Tim Strudwick, RSPB Mid Yare nature reserves site manager, explained: “These spiders have an important role in maintaining the rich aquatic diversity found in the grazing ditches on our reserves. The females are impressive in size, but also beautiful - they are truly special to see!”

Fen raft spiders can grow to be around the size of an adult human’s palm and you can identify them from the eye-catching white stripe running along their body.

They’re a little different to your typical spiders too as rather than capturing their prey in webs, they lie in wait with their front legs resting on a body of water.

The species almost became extinct 15 years ago after its wetland home was destroyed, but now the RSPB estimates there are 10,000 breeding females across the UK. Plus, they’re having their best year on record.

The zoo added: “We’re so proud of the part we’ve played in this incredible conservation success story, ensuring the survival of a species that was previously on the brink of extinction.”