Baboon Tarantula Boards Plane, Escapes, And Delays Flight — Creepy-Crawly Caught After Thorough Search

One little tarantula caused a bit of a stir on a Delta flight Wednesday — it delayed the plane’s take off after the creepy-crawly escaped from its carrier.

But breathe easy, it was never in the cabin, no one was hurt, and the creature only poses a mild threat to humans.

According to the Washington Post, Delta Airlines spokesman Brian Kruse said the flight had already landed in Baltimore by the time the arachnid was discovered. At 6 p.m., crew started to unload passenger cargo and “noticed a tarantula was on the loose.”

Ninety-seven unharmed passengers were aboard the flight and allowed to exit, but unfortunately, a whole new set of people were waiting to get on to fly back to Atlanta.

These people were told that their flight would be delayed several hours, “out of an abundance of caution.” The plane would be delayed overnight, searched, and declared tarantula-free before hitting the skies again, Kruse explained.

“(The captain) wanted to assure them there were no insects or spiders in the cabin. He wanted to be very open and honest of the situation. The safety and security of our passengers is our top priority.”

The delayed fliers boarded another aircraft instead, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported. The flight was supposed to leave at 7 p.m. and arrive in Atlanta at 9 p.m., and in the end, they arrived only a couple hours later than planned, WSBTV added.

The Baltimore Sun reported that people were delayed three hours because of the tarantula.

Delta noted that none of their passengers saw it in the cabin and that during the search, no more of the hairy, eight-legged creatures were found.

The airline worked with the handler to make sure all of them, if there was more than one, were accounted for. He verified it was the only one aboard.

The handler reportedly followed all policies and procedures for the trip.

The baboon tarantula is only mildly harmful to humans. They are from Africa, are burnt orange, and have a nice set of fangs. They can be aggressive, defensive, and their bites are nothing to trifle with.

Most of them have venom, but it isn’t often deadly. Though when threatened, they can release nearly invisible hairs that can irritate skin.

As for the plane, it has been declared completely clear of spiders and is now back in service.

[Photo Courtesy Audrey Snider-Bell / Shutterstock]