Pet spider kills it's owner -

The Sun - UK ^ | February 29, 2004 | Allan Hall

[UnklGene]

Pet spider kills its owner -

Killer ... a poisonous Black Widow spider

From ALLAN HALL in Berlin

A MAN who lived in his own “zoo” of lizards and insects was fatally bitten by a pet black widow spider — then eaten by the other creepy-crawlies. Police broke in to Mark Voegel’s apartment to find spider Bettina along with 200 others, several snakes, a gecko lizard called Helmut and several thousand termites had gorged on his body.

Neighbours alerted police after becoming alarmed by the stink.

And horrified officers were met by a nightmare scene.

A police spokesman said: “It was like a horror movie. His corpse was over the sofa.

“Giant webs draped him, spiders were all over him. They were coming out of his nose and his mouth.

“There was everything there one could imagine in the world of reptiles.

“Larger pieces of flesh torn off by the lizards were scooped up and taken back to the webs of tarantulas and other bird-eating spiders.”

Hungry ... termites ate body

Loner Voegel, 30, never invited people back to his “jungle” home, a small apartment in the German city of Dortmund.

Police described it as a cross between a botanical garden and the butterfly breeding ground in the serial killer movie The Silence Of The Lambs.

One tarantula had built a nest the size of a swallow’s in a corner of the ceiling.

Voegel also had a boa constrictor and several poisonous frogs from South America.

Spider expert and animal cruelty officer Gabi Bayer said he kept creatures “that should never be allowed in a private home”.

She said: “He had spiders so aggressive they are the equivalent of a pit-bull in the animal world.”

The reptiles were allowed to roam free in the flat.

The heating elements on two tanks containing spiders and their termite snacks had exploded and dislodged the metal tops allowing them to escape.

Voegel is thought to have been dead for between seven and 14 days.

A post-mortem will be carried out in the next few days. But authorities believe Bettina alone was responsible for Voegel’s death.

[AgThorn]

Pet spider kills its owner

Killer ... a poisonous Black Widow spider

From ALLAN HALL
in BerlinA MAN who lived in his own “zoo” of lizards and insects was fatally bitten by a pet black widow spider — then eaten by the other creepy-crawlies.

Police broke in to Mark Voegel’s apartment to find spider Bettina along with 200 others, several snakes, a gecko lizard called Helmut and several thousand termites had gorged on his body.

Neighbours alerted police after becoming alarmed by the stink.

And horrified officers were met by a nightmare scene.

Spider's victim ... the body of tragic Voegel is taken away

A police spokesman said: “It was like a horror movie. His corpse was over the sofa.

“Giant webs draped him, spiders were all over him. They were coming out of his nose and his mouth.

“There was everything there one could imagine in the world of reptiles.

“Larger pieces of flesh torn off by the lizards were scooped up and taken back to the webs of tarantulas and other bird-eating spiders.”

Hungry ... termites ate body

Loner Voegel, 30, never invited people back to his “jungle” home, a small apartment in the German city of Dortmund.

Police described it as a cross between a botanical garden and the butterfly breeding ground in the serial killer movie The Silence Of The Lambs.

One tarantula had built a nest the size of a swallow’s in a corner of the ceiling.

Voegel also had a boa constrictor and several poisonous frogs from South America.

Lair ... a cage is taken away
Picture: JOCHEN ALTHOFF

Spider expert and animal cruelty officer Gabi Bayer said he kept creatures “that should never be allowed in a private home”.

She said: “He had spiders so aggressive they are the equivalent of a pit-bull in the animal world.”

The reptiles were allowed to roam free in the flat.

The heating elements on two tanks containing spiders and their termite snacks had exploded and dislodged the metal tops allowing them to escape.

Danger ... he kept snakes

Voegel is thought to have been dead for between seven and 14 days.

A post-mortem will be carried out in the next few days. But authorities believe Bettina alone was responsible for Voegel’s death.

[Reb Raider]

This is so gross-a-moto. Ickkkk!!!!!

[Dallas59]

PETA needs to build a statue to this guy.

Remember, animals are just like people!

[SpookBrat]

This is one of the sickest things I've ever heard. Is this for real? Geeze....I don't feel so good. I think I'll go lay down.

[MEG33]

Me too!

[Last Dakotan]

Paging Mr. Darwin..

[FranApple]

Looks like this nut lived in an apartment. If this is true I wouldn't want to be anywhere near there.

yechhhhhhhh!!!

[Lijahsbubbe]

Oh - my - gosh.....

[baltodog]

A dime and a dollar says that you'll "feel" something....

[kenth]

ugh... I never needed to read this.

eeeyeeechhh.

[MEG33]

EEK!..creepy crawlies...creepy crawlies!

[Rabid Dog]

This entire article is false. I am a member of the American Tarantula Society and the proud owner of 2 black widows and 8 tarantulas. Only 5% of black widow bites are fatal, and the spiders wouldn't feed on his body, they would feed on the insects. The tarantulas would feed on the lizards and termites, the lizards would feed on the termites and tarantulas and the boa would feed on the tarantulas and lizards. Plus, tarantulas don't build nests, and only the arboreal ones build web s, and even then they are tubes the tarantula lives in, and of these tree dwellers there is only one genus I can think of that is aggressive. Plus theres the fact that even if he was bitten by a tarantula after the black widow bit him, no person in medical history has died from a tarantula bite. Also, don't termites eat wood? And consider the source, The Sun, a British tabloid.
Son of Rabid Dog

[TexasRepublic]

Survival of the fittest. The spider wins!

[SpookBrat]

I have a severe snake phobia....as in, fainting in the reptile house at the zoo. I don't mind bugs so much as long as they stay away from me and as long as they are dead 2 seconds after I find them. Spiders outside get to live because they eat bag bugs.

This is so sick. Just when you think you have heard everything and nothing can shock you any more.....

[Lijahsbubbe]

Your food chain explanation makes sense. Urban legends really 'bug' me. ha ha

[henbane]

Geeze....I don't feel so good. I think I'll go lay down.

O.K.--but be sure to check for critters first.

[curmudgeonII]

1. When did termites become carnivorous?
2. I thought spiders only ate [sucked the juices really] out of living tissue.

[MEG33]

Spiders used to be my phobia.I don't like them in the house.I have been chief bug catcher,killer destroyer for my daughter,only now that she's grown I have to take them outside and let them live.

I found a wolf spider in a corner in her house and said innocently.."would you mind getting a spider for me?"

Ha..that was one big spider and a jumper!She owed me after all these years!A coffee can and flat paper plate is all one needs.

[kenth]

It was the spiders crawling out of him and the idea of termites feasting on him that bugged me.

[SpookBrat]

Bugged you? No pun intended right? I didn't know termites were omnivores. I thought they were herbivores.

Makes me think of that "Everybody loves Raymond" episode when that woman kept all those frogs and ate flies. LOL

[SpookBrat]

You know, tarantula's are really pretty cool. They mate for life. If you find one, there's a second one close by usually. They are cool......but they better STAY AWAY!!! See how open minded I am? LOL Love them at a distance is my motto.

[edeal]

Simba, witness the circle of life.

[DaGman]

Why does the really REALLY wierd stuff happen in Germany?

And I thought the Houston news was wierd.

[MEG33]

The first time I ever saw a wolf spider/tarantula was in my garage.I had a plumber coming that morning and I literally did not take my eyes off of it until help arrived.It was a big one..He was so excited,caught it and said he was going to take it to the zoo.

[Mark17]

I am a member of the American Tarantula Society

I did not know there was such an organization. It did seem kind of strange, that if his body was so totally eaten up, how on earth would they know what the cause of death was?

[MEG33]

I had a friend in college who was bitten by a black widow .She had deep recess in her thigh where the bite was.

[Prodigal Son]

You have a link to the article? That one just goes to the Sun front page.

[Jeff Chandler]

“He had spiders so aggressive they are the equivalent of a pit-bull in the animal world.”

Uh, oh... just wait until the Free Republic pit bull Nazis read this! Better rewrite it.

“He had spiders so aggressive they are the equivalent of a golden retriever in the animal world.”

There, that's better.

[skinkinthegrass]

This entire article is false.

I agree, the story sounds like an Urban legend...cobble by some lazy, dumb brit...so many loose ends.

[UnklGene]

Here's the link. http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2004092008,00.html

[skinkinthegrass]

O.K.--but be sure to check for critters first.

Hmmm...I've not seen that movie before...know the name?

[e_engineer]

Also, don't termites eat wood?

So you're saying he was made of wood?

[Rabid Dog]

It was probably a brown recluse that bit your friend - they are notorious for leaving ulcers behind.

[henbane]

I've not seen that movie before...know the name?

That Daddy-long-legs seems to be a creation of metal sculptor Bill Secunda.

Bill Secunda's Weld-art

[skinkinthegrass]

That Daddy-long-legs seems to be a creation of metal sculptor Bill Secunda....Bill Secunda's Weld-art

A Metal sculptor...Thats great stuff!..an great thing to perch on a small shed, surrounded by an fence... :))

[skinkinthegrass]

So you're saying he was made of wood?

"She turned me into a newt...I got better!" :))