A lot of people are afraid of spiders — even the small ones. But a big tarantula (狼蛛) is much more terrible for many. Now, scientists in Sri Lanka have discovered a huge species (物种) of tarantula that’s about the size of a person’s face.

Although it is very big, is there a real reason to be afraid of one? Maybe. This tarantula has enough poisonous fluid (液体) to kill mice and small birds and snakes — but its bite wouldn’t cause the death of most humans.

Tarantula was first seen in 2009, when a villager in Sri Lanka found the body of a male Tarantula and brought it to a Sri Lanka research organization.

An examination of the body proved that it was a type of tarantula scientists hadn’t seen before. So the scientists carefully looked through the Sri Lankan forests to try to find more of the spiders.

It’s still too early to know whether this species is in danger. But researchers fear that the Tarantulas’ natural habitat (栖息地) is slowly being destroyed.

“They prefer old trees, but due to the widespread removal of trees, the number has dropped,” the scientists said in an interview.

Tarantulas have eight legs and two body parts. They are different from insects, which have only six legs but three body parts. Tarantulas have hairy bodies and are usually larger than other types of spiders. Some species of tarantulas can live up to 25 years.

While Tarantula is very big, the largest one is the Goliath bird-eater. Found in the rainforests of South America, its legs can be up to 10 inches long. But don’t worry if you ever see one. Its poisonous fluid isn’t really dangerous to humans.

After weeks of lockdown, the French are more eager than ever to get away from the breathless cities. But the busy traffic will also serve as a reminder of another annual summer trend here. The French have the unfortunate distinction of being the European champions for abandoning pets that have become too cumbersome for their summer trips. Animal shelters up and down the country are evidence of this unique and sad tradition.

Betty Loizeau has run a shelter just north of Toulouse for more than 20 years. “Owners call up to say where their pets can be found, or drop them off in boxes outside the shelter under the cover of darkness. The excuses they typically give are that they’re going on holiday, having a baby, moving house, or they have a new partner with allergies, ...”

For shelters like this one, it is the busiest time of the year. Between 100,000 and 200,000 pets are abandoned in France each year, with 60% of these incidents occurring over the summer. The figure is close to 16,000 in the UK.

“Pets are increasingly seen as an impulsive(冲动的) buy,” says Marina Chailland, a doctor who has studied the social relationship between the French and their pets.

“A certain breed(品种) of cat or dog is fashionable and owners want one, just like a new smartphone,” she says. “Of course, when it goes out of fashion they desert it for an upgrade a couple of years later, when a new breed is considered fashionable.” She also points to the issue of pets being given as gifts as a reason why so many are abandoned. “Often parents will get pets for their children and when they grow up and lose interest in them, out goes the pet.”

Over the summer, owners discover that hotels charge extra for animals or even ban them completely. This explains why you will often see frightened, lost, dogs wandering near freeway service stations or beach resorts.

A group of wandering wild elephants have become an overnight Internet hit globally. While the original group is made up of 16 elephants, two decided to return home after a week. The rest continued their journey northward, stopping only for a short break in November 2020 to allow a newly-born elephant and its mother to recover.

Since leaving the reserve, the elephants have walked over 500 kilometers. Along the way, they entered farms for food and water, walked through urban streets and even paid a visit to a car dealership and a retirement home. No animals or people were hurt. However. they destroyed more than $ 1 million worth of crops.

Researchers are not sure why the elephants decided to leave or where they are headed. While they are known to leave their habitats in search of food. this is the longest migration of wild elephants recorded in China. Because of this, some guess that the elephants may be lost. However, others think the elephants were forced to move due to deforestation. Successful conservation efforts have almost doubled the elephant population in the Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve. However. their natural habitat has been greatly reduced.

“As their populations increase, they search for more food,” Becky Shu Chen said. “You could say that the increase in agricultural land in their region is like finding a big sweet shop, right on their doorstep. ”

The wandering herd’s search for a suitable home was noticed by locals who eagerly followed their daily movements on social media. Adam Chang, assigned to deliver food to the elephants, says, “Before this meeting, I just felt curious about animals. Now, I think I would volunteer in animal rights groups to preserve those giant creatures.