Share to ClassroomPeru Finds 3,000 Spiders in Travellers' Socks
Officials at the international airport in Lima, Peru, found more than 3,000 tarantulas in three suitcases. A tarantula is a large, hairy spider. The spiders were hidden in small boxes inside socks. They were going to Germany with two German travellers and one Polish traveller. Some of the spiders were adults, and others were babies or eggs.
The news reports do not agree about how officials found them. The Guardian says officers saw something moving in the bags during a normal check. The Daily Mail says someone sent a secret message to Peru's wildlife office. The spiders came from different parts of Peru, and some of them are protected by law. Scientists have not described some of these types yet. One tarantula can sell for about €500 in Europe, so all the spiders together could be worth €1.5 million.
The police have arrested the three travellers. In Peru, smuggling wild animals can mean three to five years in prison, the Daily Mail reported. These spiders look scary, but they are not dangerous to people. Their bite hurts about as much as a bee's. Interpol, the international police group, says the illegal wildlife trade makes about $20 billion every year.
