ARACHNOPHOBE FACES HIS FEAR TO SAVE A SPIDER FAMILY
WITH PIX AND VID
By Shuk Yee Tsang and Mikey Jones
An arachnophobe over his fear of spiders to rescue a wolf spider mother and her babies from a glue trap.
Anthony Gianni, 36, a marketing director from Colorado, USA, carefully cut around the trap, applied food-grade mineral oil to the spider’s legs and used a paperclip to gently separate the family from the sticky surface.
He was inspired to save the arachnids after growing up watching his mother bring home stray animals to nurse back to health.
That childhood influence stuck with him, and now he often finds himself stepping in to save creatures most people might run from.
While many praised his compassion, some couldn’t hide their fear of spiders after seeing his rescue clip.
Anthony said: “Before lockdowns, I was actually arachnophobic.
“Now, not only do I love spiders, but many of my friends and family avoid hurting them because of me. That’s the best feeling.
“Not all of my attempts have been successful, so I really wanted this one to go smoothly. Luckily, with the help of the wolf spider mom, it did.
“Of course, with any mention of spiders, there are your typical ‘stomp them, burn them’ types of responses.
“But overall, the kindness people shared was heartwarming.”
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