Giant spiders the size of rats making a comeback in UK

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. From near-extinction in 2010 - when only a handful remained as their wetland homes were destroyed by humans - the number of fen raft spiders are now steadily increasing thanks to recent conservation efforts. open image in gallery The fen raft spider dips its egg sac into water every few hours to keep eggs moist The conservation charity revealed that the most recent survey estimates the total number of female spiders to be up to 3,750 across 12 sites in Norfolk and Suffolk Broads alone. “The Fen Raft Spider is one of the UK’s rarest invertebrates and we are proud of the role our reserves and teams have played in its recovery,” Tim Strudwick, the RSPB Mid Yare nature reserves site manager where many of spiders are homed, told the MailOnline. He added: “Walking along the meadow trail gives visitors at Strumpshaw Fen the best chance of sightings of the mature females and their glistening nursery webs, so now is the perfect time to make a trip to the reserve.” RSPB ecologist, Jane Sears, who was also involved in Fen Raft Spider conservation told the paper: “The RSPB has played an important role in the reintroduction of these spiders and means we must continue to restore, manage and protect the wetland habitats where the Fen Raft Spider thrives to ensure the future of not just this species, but many others too.”