3 Sep 2012

Deadly spider sought for anti-venom stocks

9:58 am on 3 September 2012

Australians have been asked to catch the world's deadliest spider, the funnel-web, so they can be milked for their poison.

The venom is used to make a treatment for those who are bitten. Without it, victims die within hours.

The Australian Reptile Park, north of Sydney, is the only place in the country where venom is extracted to make the anti-venom, and its stocks are low.

The park is urging anyone who catches a funnel-web to bring it in.