Hundreds of Mouse-Sized Spiders Released in U.K.

…And people are celebrating.

The majority of people taking an online poll describe this news as "terrifying," but scientists are cheering the comeback of a large, endangered spider in the U.K. It's a recovery that was made possible by the recent release of hundreds of captive-bred individuals.

The fen raft spider (Dolomedes plantarius), which can grow up to three inches (7.6 centimeters) long and sometimes eats fish, is the largest species of spider in the U.K. It is also endangered. That's why scientists from the London-area zoo Chessington World of Adventures have been breeding it in captivity.

You shouldn't be scared—it's not dangerous to people and actually plays an important role in its ecosystem. (Watch hundreds of babies emerge after a wolf spider

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