A pair of black widow spiders found in a classic car have found a new home at Bristol Zoo.
The infamously deadly spiders were found nesting in a 1964 Ford Falcon which was imported into Britain last January, but were only discovered when restoration began a week ago.
Mechanics at the Bicester-based Damax found one in the fuel tank and another behind the dashboard.
They identified the spiders online before putting them in a lunchbox and trying to find a home for them.
Garage manager Robin Ward said he was not scared of spiders, but nevertheless was shocked when he discovered the pair were black widows.
"We brought the car over in January and it had been stored in a garage until last week when our mechanic started getting it ready to work on.
"We found the first spider tucked under the fuel tank and carefully put it in a plastic container and looked on the internet to try and identify it.
"We continued stripping the car with a great deal of caution, and couldn't believe it when we found a second spider under the dashboard," he said.
He added: "We would have never found either of the spiders had we not completely stripped the car but we've finished it now and are 100% certain that there are no more."
Bristol Zoo says the find came at just the right time as their resident black widow had recently died of old age.
Mark Bushell, assistant curator of invertebrates, said they were not as deadly as people thought, but "could still do some quite serious harm and their bite would certainly cause health problems".
One of the spiders will go on display in a replica outside toilet in the "Bug World" section of the zoo. The other will be kept off show.
The spiders, native to the US, are rarely fatal but can cause cramps and fever. Only the females are venomous, and are known for eating their male companions after mating.
http://news.uk.msn.com/articles.aspx?cp-documentid=160037703
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Showing posts with label Bristol Zoo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bristol Zoo. Show all posts
Monday, December 12, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Bristol Zoo inspired Creature Comforts, says Nick Park
The creator of Aardman Animations film Creature Comforts has revealed he was inspired by Bristol Zoo and veteran TV zoo keeper Johnny Morris.
Nick Park said the way the former Animal Magic presenter did his "funny voices" for the animals was the start of it.
"I was probably unconsciously inspired by that. It really put Bristol Zoo on the map," he said.
Bristol Zoo is celebrating its 175th anniversary on 11 July.
Mr Park said he had been inspired as a child by Animal Magic - part of which was filmed at Bristol Zoo in the 1960s.
"I did do a lot of research there and there was a polar bear pit which was all concrete and painted white to make the bears think they were in the Arctic.
"I remember there was a little archway into a cave and I put that in the film.
"It's painted like a public toilets in the 1950s. You've got a Plimsoll line where you have one colour below and the other above - usually white or blue just to give Arctic colours I guess.
"I'm not sure whether they were there for the polar bears or the public."
He added: "In a way that's what I was playing on in Creature Comforts, the way we've built that environment which is pretty awful but the animals, like people, tend to accept this in a kind of strange way."
Bristol Zoo was set up in 1836 and records show its original investors included Bristol's most famous engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and the chocolate manufacturer Joseph Fry
In the early days, the ethos was to provide a zoological society for people to learn about the animal kingdom.
But by the 1970s the old Victorian animal enclosures were replaced with more spacious, natural environments.
Bristol Zoo stopped keeping many larger animals and focused instead on conservation, education and the protection of endangered species for future generations.
The Animal Magic Zoo is broadcast on Monday 11 July at 1900 BST on BBC One West and afterward on the BBC iPlayer. The programme will be repeated on 21 July on BBC Two at 1900 BST
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-14045878
Nick Park said Johnny Morris's "funny voices" inspired Creature Comforts
Nick Park said the way the former Animal Magic presenter did his "funny voices" for the animals was the start of it.
"I was probably unconsciously inspired by that. It really put Bristol Zoo on the map," he said.
Bristol Zoo is celebrating its 175th anniversary on 11 July.
Mr Park said he had been inspired as a child by Animal Magic - part of which was filmed at Bristol Zoo in the 1960s.
"I did do a lot of research there and there was a polar bear pit which was all concrete and painted white to make the bears think they were in the Arctic.
"I remember there was a little archway into a cave and I put that in the film.
"It's painted like a public toilets in the 1950s. You've got a Plimsoll line where you have one colour below and the other above - usually white or blue just to give Arctic colours I guess.
"I'm not sure whether they were there for the polar bears or the public."
He added: "In a way that's what I was playing on in Creature Comforts, the way we've built that environment which is pretty awful but the animals, like people, tend to accept this in a kind of strange way."
Bristol Zoo was set up in 1836 and records show its original investors included Bristol's most famous engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and the chocolate manufacturer Joseph Fry
In the early days, the ethos was to provide a zoological society for people to learn about the animal kingdom.
But by the 1970s the old Victorian animal enclosures were replaced with more spacious, natural environments.
Bristol Zoo stopped keeping many larger animals and focused instead on conservation, education and the protection of endangered species for future generations.
The Animal Magic Zoo is broadcast on Monday 11 July at 1900 BST on BBC One West and afterward on the BBC iPlayer. The programme will be repeated on 21 July on BBC Two at 1900 BST
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-14045878
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