Highly poisonous and deadly spiders are in high demand in Australia right now. One of the zoos is in fact asking people to catch the spiders and donate them. These spiders won't make for an attraction at the zoo but instead will be used to create an antivenom. 

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The venom of the male funnel-web spiders is used for a special lifesaving antivenom programme run by the  Australian Reptile Park in Sydney. The park says the season hasn't had a lot of these spiders moving around, but they will start making a wider appearance soon. To help run the programme, the park is urging the public to catch the spiders when they spot them.

Spider keeper Emma Teni told local media that as autumn approaches, there will be high humidity and higher rainfall, making for the perfect conditions for "our funnel-web spiders wandering about."

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However, what might keep the general public away from the funnel-web spiders is the fact that they are the world’s most venomous spiders. The park started the antivenom programme in 1981 to prevent deaths linked to these spiders. It involves over 2,000 spiders whose venom is milked to make the life-saving concoction.

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A vial of the antivenom requires the spiders to be milked 50 to 200 times once they reach maturity. What makes it all the more urgent is the fact that funnel-web spiders only have a life span of about a year. 

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“They have this special toxin, which is absolutely deadly and vital for our life-saving programme,” Teni said.

How is the antivenom made?

The process of making the antivenom is an arduous one. Once the spiders are milked, the venom is frozen and sent to and sent to Seqiris in Melbourne. Rabbits are then exposed to the venom gradually over a period of six months.

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The aim is to make them able to tolerate six times the lethal dose. Antibodies are extracted from their blood and are used to produce the antivenom, as per the park's website.

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Can all funnel-web spiders kill humans?

Although the funnel-web spiders are found across southeastern Australia, only a few species found in eastern New South Wales and southeast Queensland are dangerous to humans. The only confirmed deadly species of the spider is found in the Sydney region.