A giant tarantula the size of a hand has been rescued after it was found in a garbage can in Giltbrook, England.

The white knee tarantula was identified earlier this week by Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals inspector Teresa Potter, as it was hiding under garbage, SWNS reports.

"It's rare that we get reports of tarantulas in public so as I was making my way there, I was sure it would be a plastic toy or maybe just a piece of litter," Ms. Potter told SWNS.

"There was also a broken tank in the bin, so whoever dumped this spider just carelessly tossed the spider and their home in this bin without any thought for their welfare."

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The eight-legged arachnid is a common pet in Brazil, where it is from. They can grow up to 8 inches and, even though biting is not their first level of defense, they can bite when provoked.

Their urticating hairs are also an irritant to human skin, similar to other tarantulas.

The unidentified woman who found the spider said she had taken her dogs out into the field, spotted a tank in the bin and was surprised to see the tarantula inside.

"I was curious so I had a closer look, expecting it to be a mouse, and I was very surprised to see a tarantula in there," the woman said.

"The spider was clinging onto the side of the bin bag. I went home to my husband and asked him to come and look — he couldn’t believe it either. It’s not something you expect to find in a public bin."

Potter added that someone has adopted the tarantula, but is concerned that someone would just drop it into a garbage bin like this.

"These tarantulas live in a warm and humid environment in the wild and need the same provided in captivity, to meet their needs and keep them healthy," she said.

"We would recommend that anyone interested in keeping a tarantula as a pet thoroughly research the particular species’ needs carefully first before deciding to get one, so they know what is involved and how long it is likely to be for."

