In several countries, including South Africa, it is not legal to collect or keep baboon spiders without permits to do so. This is one of the reasons that the Baboon Spider Atlas is focussing on gathering photographic records of spiders in the wild. Conservation authorities will not issue permits to collect spiders for research purposes to members of the general public, and there is a general embargo on issuing permits for personal or commerical purposes. When conducting your atlasing activities please resist the temptation to take spiders home to keep as pets.

In nature reserves and national parks permits are required for any kind of surveying, sampling, or atlasing activity. Obviously if a spider wanders into camp or you see one while on foot you can photograph it, but you cannot actively search for burrows by turning rocks, or lure spiders out of their burrows, as this consitutes interference with the wildlife and the environment. We strongly urge against active atlasing activities within nature reserves or national parks without the proper documentation in place. Please also make sure that when atlasing on private land or private nature reserves, that you obtain permission from the landowner or manager beforehand. This is an important courtesy towards the landowners, and is also important for maintaining the image of the Baboon Spider Atlas project.

Some people might be concerned that they will be breaking the law by atlasing baboon spiders. Unfortunately the complexities of the legislation mean that there are some grey areas. However, the practicalities of law enforcement must be considered, and the question is what will constitute a prosecutable offence. Unless you have spiders in containers in your possession without the necessary permits, or search for spiders in protected areas, it is very unlikely that you will be liable for any kind of prosecution.

To summarise, unless you have permits don't collect spiders and keep them in your possession. Also, don't search for spiders in nature reserves or national parks by turning rocks, digging holes, or otherwise disturbing the environment. Other than that you should have no problems carrying out your atlasing activities. There have not been any cases of legal issues with people submitting photographic records to any of the ADU Virtual Museums.