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Nature and Environment

Swiss police called to remove spider from bedroom

Rebecca Staudenmaier with DPA
November 5, 2017

One itsy-bitsy home intruder in Switzerland prompted a police operation when a woman uncovered the spider in her bedroom. After a bit of spider wrangling, police reported a happy end to a scary night for the homeowner.

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Giant house spider
Image: picture-alliance/blickwinkel/R. Sturm

Police officers in Switzerland responded to a call for help over the weekend after a woman discovered a spider in her bedroom, authorities said in a statement on Sunday.

Facts about our fascinating insects

The woman in the Alpine city of Chur needed assistance removing the eight-legged insect as she suffers from arachnophobia.

She was "unable to enter the bedroom" due to her fear, Chur police said in their statement.

Read more: WWII bomb scare leads German police to heavy zucchini

Authorities did not mention what type of spider it was, but reported a happy ending for both human and arachnid.

"The deployed patrol unit released the spider back into the wild so that the resident could sleep soundly," the police statement said.

Those who suffer from arachnophobia experience crippling fear when they see spiders, with symptoms including difficulty breathing, sweating and sometimes panic attacks.

An old man and his spiders