https://preprod.pressherald.com/2021/09/02/auburn-landlord-finds-19-tarantulas-and-a-python-abandoned-in-apartment

Lewiston-Auburn

Auburn landlord finds 19 tarantulas and a python abandoned in apartment

A former tenant left 15 living tarantulas, four dead ones and a ball python behind.

Posted September 2, 2021

Updated September 7, 2021

Mark LaFlammeSun Journal

1 min read

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Drew Desjardins received 19 tarantulas from a nervous landlord who found the spiders in an apartment that she owns. "These are not a dangerous animal," said Desjardins. Tarantulas flick hair that gets into the eyes of enemies, but that is the most harm tarantulas do, said Desjardins. "Bees are more dangerous than these." The tarantula that Desjardins is holding is a Chaco tarantula, one of three species of tarantulas that are legal to own in Maine. There are over 800 species in the world. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

LEWISTON — Drew Desjardins to the rescue. Again.

Known most famously as “Mr. Drew and his Animals Too,” Desjardins was called to an Auburn apartment Wednesday after the landlord discovered a former tenant left behind 15 living tarantulas, four dead ones and one ball python that had no water.

Desjardins not only rescues critters locally but also rehabilitates them and presents them to the public in educational shows. He took the living spiders and ball python back to his home and reported that all were doing fine Thursday.

The spiders he recovered, Desjardins said, are illegal in Maine so he’ll have to relocate them out of state.

By Thursday afternoon, nearly 200 people had commented on Desjardins’ Facebook post about the rescue, a post which had also been shared more than 600 times.