Absolutely terrifying: Nora Serrat found a huntsman spider hiding in her backpack (Picture: Facebook / The Rainforest Foundation UK)

This venomous huntsman spider gave a charity worker a fright when it jumped out of her backpack after she returned to the UK.

Nora Serrat, 32, found the monster arachnid had been hiding in her luggage when she returned to London following a two-week trip to the Cameroonian rainforest.

The spider, which has been named Hermione, was also carrying a huge egg sac containing up to 400 babies, but thankfully they didn’t break out on the flight back.

‘It jumped out of the sleeping mat but we captured it with a carton box,’ she told the Evening Standard.


‘The equipment was in the back of a car and I think the spider crawled into a sleeping mat.



‘It’s not an impossible thing to happen considering the places we visited – but it was still a bit of a surprise!’

Nora Serrat believes the spider crawled into her sleeping mat (Picture: The Rainforest Foundation)

Ms Serrat, a forest mapping specialist, called her colleagues from the Rainforest Foundation UK charity to help capture the spider.

Hermione, who staff described as being ‘feisty’, is now being looked after at London Zoo following her long journey to the UK.

‘When we dropped her off, she was alive and apparently quite feisty. They gave her some water and her rather unexpected journey had apparently caused her no harm,’ said Rachel Agnew of the Rainforest Foundation.

‘From our perspective we were delighted that ZSL responded so quickly and said they would take care of the spider.

‘Our work in the rainforests of Central Africa and the Peruvian Amazon involves working with indigenous and forest peoples in these regions with the aim of protecting these beautiful, diverse ecosystems and all the wonderful species that call the rainforest home.’