Returning to England after a holiday did not result in the feeling of rest and happiness that some trips produce, but rather a situation that gave a man goosebumps. Upon completing his journey, James Mugridge, a 31-year-old man, found an 'unthinkable' companion that terrified him when he started to unpack his suitcase: a tarantula measuring approximately five inches.
"I let out a scream... It was really the last thing I expected," he acknowledged in an interview with South West News Service, as cited by the New York Post.
Mugridge's stay in Latin America lasted less than two weeks, and upon returning to British soil, he found the spider as a part of the 'memories' of his trip to Cancun and Tulum, two of the most popular tourist destinations in Mexico.
How did the spider 'get in'?
The English traveler admitted that his fear was not minor, as he was "absolutely terrified" upon realizing that "the little thing had gotten into" his pants. After investigating, he discovered that the scientific name of the animal is Tliltocatl vagans, and its proximity to humans is not fatal.
Infotarantulas places it in nations such as Mexico, Belize, Honduras, and Guatemala. Its body can reach up to eight centimeters (in females), with a preferred temperature of between 20 and 26 degrees Celsius.
Mugridge recounted that he and his girlfriend took a two-hour journey from Cancun to Tulum (where the spider supposedly entered the suitcase unnoticed, despite its size).
To the couple's relief, once they made the discovery, they confirmed that the animal was dead, possibly due to not being able to withstand the temperature of the journey, as the luggage was in the plane's hold.
Recalling his experience, the Englishman believes that the spider may have been in his clothing for a couple of days, and "could still be alive in the cabin". Although this type of arachnid does not pose a fatal risk, the Daily Mail reports that they can bite if they feel threatened.
Bought bananas that came with a 'gift' Also in the United Kingdom, specifically in Windsor, a man was left with goosebumps after a routine supermarket purchase. Craig Harrison had already removed a banana from the package he had purchased when he noticed an 'odd' lump in the bag.
Upon looking more closely, he realized that there was a spider with an attached 'sack' which could hold at least 200 offspring. "At first, I was in shock. I stumbled backward and lost my balance," he said, admitting to having developed a kind of fear.
Subsequently, it was confirmed that the animal came from the Dominican Republic, and the establishment where he made the purchase apologized for the 'inconvenience' and compensated him with £100. For Harrison, that sum did not compensate for the risk he was exposed to, as the 'hunting' species is not venomous but can cause pain, according to Vanguardia.
The store claimed to have "robust processes to prevent spiders from traveling with our fruit, but on very rare occasions, they can slip through," as in this case. The animal may have been 'attracted' to the shipment from Latin America.
Here the video: https://nypost.com/2023/05/03/i-found-a-huge-hairy-tarantula-in-my-jeans-after-vacation/
