London zoo is investigating claims by a woman who believes she was bitten by a spider while visiting a new exhibition designed to bring visitors face to face with arachnids.
Elsa Fricker, 33, was reportedly admitted to hospital where surgeons were due to remove an abscess that she says was caused by the bite.
The mother of four said she became aware of a sharp pain above her left hip as she toured the zoo’s new In With the Spiders room three weeks ago with her children and a friend.
“When I left the room it got really hot and I noticed a puncture mark in my side,” she was quoted in the Evening Standard as saying.
“I felt really light-headed. I said to my friend I didn’t feel well – I ripped off my clothes, sat down and felt sick. I was shaking and I thought I was going to pass out.”
Fricker said her condition worsened when she got home, with pus and blood bursting out of her wound.
“I’ve been extremely ill since. I’ve had fever, dizziness, migraine and heart palpitations,” she added. She said she was taken to hospital by ambulance last week.
A spokeswoman for London zoo said that although the spiders in the exhibition were harmless to humans, any insect bite could cause an allergic reaction.
The zoo said in a statement on Wednesday: “We cared for a visitor on 12 September who reported an insect bite to our first aider.
“ZSL London zoo’s In With the Spiders exhibit is home to Madagascan orb-weaver spiders and Australian golden orb spiders.
“These are all docile spider species that spend the majority of their time stationary on their webs and are considered highly unlikely to bite.
“We received a report yesterday that the visitor believes the bite was from a spider. We are of course investigating this report and will be happy to provide any medical professionals treating her with accurate information.”
The zoo bills its In with the Spiders exhibition, which opened in May, as the UK’s “first ever walk-through spider exhibit”.
Described on the zoo’s website as the only exhibit of its kind in Europe, visitors are first “gently acquainted” with native UK spiders before seeing others including the black widow and large bird-eating spiders.
