Our Tarantula Handling Policy: Safety, Education, and Respect for These Misunderstood Creatures
Tarantula Handling Policy at Scaly Safari Animal Experience
Our Evolving Approach to Tarantula Handling
At Scaly Safari, animal welfare is always our top priority — and that includes our beloved tarantulas 🕷️
For a long time, we had a strictly no-handling policy for our spiders. This was to ensure their complete safety and prevent any unnecessary stress.
However, over the last few months, we’ve taken a fresh look at how we educate the public about these incredible creatures. After careful consideration and plenty of hands-on experience with our own collection, we realised that — when done safely, calmly, and respectfully — tarantula handling can be an incredibly rewarding experience for both humans and spiders alike.
Why We Changed Our Policy
Tarantulas are often misunderstood. Many people see them as something to fear, but we know that fear usually comes from not knowing enough about them. By offering carefully supervised handling opportunities, we’ve helped countless people overcome life-long fears and develop newfound respect and admiration for these fascinating animals.
Our change in policy was guided by one key question: Can we offer a safe, positive experience for both the tarantula and the participant? The answer — when handled by experienced professionals under strict supervision — is yes.
Care home resident meeting Honey, our Mexican Red Leg tarantula
Safety Comes First: For the Tarantula and the Handler
We only allow tarantula handling with species and spiders we know extremely well. Each of our tarantulas has its own personality, and our experienced handlers are familiar with their likes, dislikes, and typical behaviours.
Before anyone handles a tarantula, we make sure:
✅ The session is highly supervised by an experienced member of our team
✅ Participants are advised of all inherent risks involved
✅ The spider’s welfare remains the number one priority
✅ The environment has been assessed for suitability
If, at any point, we feel that handling could put the spider at risk — we simply don’t allow it. The wellbeing of our animals will always come before the experience.
Handling Availability and Circumstances
It’s important to note that tarantula handling is never guaranteed at our events. We only offer it in certain circumstances, when we feel completely confident that the conditions are right — both for the spider and the participant.
Factors such as the event setting, lighting, noise level, and the behaviour of participants all play a role in our decision. If we believe the tarantula would be safer remaining inside its display enclosure, we’ll instead offer an engaging educational talk and close-up viewing so guests can still appreciate this incredible creature up close — without any risk to its welfare.
A Life-Changing Experience for Many
We’ve seen first-hand how powerful these encounters can be. People who have spent years terrified of spiders often walk away from their tarantula handling session feeling empowered, educated, and inspired. It’s a moment that can completely change someone’s perspective — and that’s exactly what Scaly Safari is all about: education through experience.
Honey, our Mexican Red Leg tarantula, meeting new friends at a nursery
A Balanced and Evolving Approach
We recognise that tarantula handling is a topic of debate, and we completely agree that animal welfare must always come first. But when handled responsibly, under the right conditions, this interaction can be a beautiful and memorable learning opportunity — one that helps people appreciate and protect spiders rather than fear them.
This is our current policy, but it may evolve in the future as our experience grows. At Scaly Safari, we are always learning, researching, and reflecting — and our hands-on experience will continue to shape our views on these kinds of topics.
Our goal is to keep improving, ensuring that every decision we make supports both the welfare of our animals and the educational value of our experiences.
Final Thoughts
At Scaly Safari, we believe education is the key to compassion.
By allowing safe, supervised tarantula handling (when appropriate), we’re helping bridge the gap between fear and understanding — one gentle encounter at a time.
If you’d like to include a tarantula experience at your school, event, or private booking, get in touch with our team today to find out more about how we keep every experience safe, educational, and unforgettable.
