‘They were going nuts’: Shopper does unusual act after Woolworths bag discovery
- Replies 17
A trip to a local Woolworths store turned into an unexpected wildlife encounter for one shopper.
The customer was surprised to find a spider inside a bag of bananas.
But what happened next might surprise you even more.
Initially startled by the sight of the spider 'going nuts' inside the plastic bag, the shopper did not react as most of us might.
Instead of dropping the bag and running for the hills, they took to social media to ask for help identifying the species.
'Who is this, spotted at Woolies in Hillary’s, WA,' they wrote.
'Found this guy/lady in a bag of bananas. They were going nuts, so it was hard to get a clearer picture. Who is he/she? Bananas for scale.'
The spider, brown with white markings on its abdomen and black at the ends of its arms, was quite a confronting sight.
With Australia being home to many venomous arachnids, including the notorious Sydney Funnel Web and the Redback spiders, the shopper had just cause for concern.
However, the online community quickly identified the spider as a garden orb weaver, a species that, while large, intimidating, and a bit aggressive, poses no threat to humans.
'You can breathe easily, it is not a Brazilian wandering spider. This is a garden orb weaver and female,' one user reassured the shopper.
Another user added: 'That is a very far from home garden orb weaver. And likely in need of some rest and recreation (R&R) if she’s been locked away in that bag all this time.'
The shopper's next move was even more surprising.
Instead of leaving the bananas (and the spider) behind or whipping out a can of bug spray to kill it, they purchased the bag and released the spider near some trees by their car.
'I bought the bag, opened it, and left it by the trees near my car. Waited for it to make its way out and took my bananas, lol,' they wrote.
This unexpected act of kindness sparked a wave of positive responses from the online community.
'You’re a good person,' one user commented.
Another wrote: 'Legend.'
A third added: 'OMG, thank you!'
Meanwhile, Woolworths expressed its surprise at the incident.
'We’re not sure how this one crawled past us!' the supermarket chain said.
'We take food safety seriously and have passed this on to our suppliers to ensure precautions are taken on farm.'
'We hope our eight-legged friend made it home safely.'
It is understood that this was an isolated case.
Spiders are often misunderstood—when someone sees a spider, they already have a preconceived idea that they are venomous or harmful.
But not all of them can harm you.
In a previous story, an author shared myths and misconceptions about spiders, celebrating the incredible biology of these creatures and debunking the horror and disgust they evoke in some people.
You can read more about the story here.
What would you do if you found a spider in your shopping? Let us know in the comments below!
The customer was surprised to find a spider inside a bag of bananas.
But what happened next might surprise you even more.
Initially startled by the sight of the spider 'going nuts' inside the plastic bag, the shopper did not react as most of us might.
Instead of dropping the bag and running for the hills, they took to social media to ask for help identifying the species.
A shopper saw a creature ‘going nuts’ inside a bag of bananas. Credit: @NoodlePoo327 / Reddit
'Who is this, spotted at Woolies in Hillary’s, WA,' they wrote.
'Found this guy/lady in a bag of bananas. They were going nuts, so it was hard to get a clearer picture. Who is he/she? Bananas for scale.'
The spider, brown with white markings on its abdomen and black at the ends of its arms, was quite a confronting sight.
With Australia being home to many venomous arachnids, including the notorious Sydney Funnel Web and the Redback spiders, the shopper had just cause for concern.
However, the online community quickly identified the spider as a garden orb weaver, a species that, while large, intimidating, and a bit aggressive, poses no threat to humans.
'You can breathe easily, it is not a Brazilian wandering spider. This is a garden orb weaver and female,' one user reassured the shopper.
Another user added: 'That is a very far from home garden orb weaver. And likely in need of some rest and recreation (R&R) if she’s been locked away in that bag all this time.'
The shopper's next move was even more surprising.
Instead of leaving the bananas (and the spider) behind or whipping out a can of bug spray to kill it, they purchased the bag and released the spider near some trees by their car.
'I bought the bag, opened it, and left it by the trees near my car. Waited for it to make its way out and took my bananas, lol,' they wrote.
This unexpected act of kindness sparked a wave of positive responses from the online community.
'You’re a good person,' one user commented.
Another wrote: 'Legend.'
A third added: 'OMG, thank you!'
Meanwhile, Woolworths expressed its surprise at the incident.
'We’re not sure how this one crawled past us!' the supermarket chain said.
'We take food safety seriously and have passed this on to our suppliers to ensure precautions are taken on farm.'
'We hope our eight-legged friend made it home safely.'
It is understood that this was an isolated case.
Spiders are often misunderstood—when someone sees a spider, they already have a preconceived idea that they are venomous or harmful.
But not all of them can harm you.
In a previous story, an author shared myths and misconceptions about spiders, celebrating the incredible biology of these creatures and debunking the horror and disgust they evoke in some people.
You can read more about the story here.
Last edited by a moderator:
.png){kind=icon}
