She’s huge đ˛
Recently, Bruno Roos took an all-day hiking trip with a few friends through the lush forests leading to the summit of Brazilâs Mestre Ălvaro mountain.
Arriving to the top, where theyâd planned to camp for the night, the group was rewarded with a stunning vista.
âAll the effort was worth it when we saw the view above the clouds,â Roos told The Dodo.
But that wouldnât be the only thing to take Roosâ breath away on that trip.
The next morning, Roos woke up early in his tent in hopes of taking photos of the sunrise cresting the distant horizon. His phone needed a charge, so he grabbed his flashlight to locate it in the pre-dawn dark.
Thatâs when he noticed something else â the fact that he wasnât alone. There was someone just outside.
âThe light from the flashlight hit the tent canvas, and the shadow of a spider appeared,â Roos said.
Hereâs that moment on video:
@roosbruno
Visitante da madrugada no acampamento.
Was it spooky? Yes, it was. But Roos knew the spider, identified as a Brazilian wandering spider with a span of over 7 inches, meant him no harm.
âI wasnât afraid,â he said. âOn the contrary, I like contact with nature.â
That said, to avoid accidentally hurting the spider as he moved in and out of his tent, Roos coaxed her onto a stick and relocated her to a safer spot.
For Roos, encountering the spider was something special, akin to the view from the top of the mountain. It was an experience that had to be earned.
“Being that size, she’s a very old spider,” Roos said. “To get to the top [of the mountain], you have to walk several kilometers through dense forest, and the trail is narrow. That means that it has older wild animals [living undisturbed], like this spider.”
Responsible camping practice is to leave no trace, taking only memories. And on that trip, Roos got his fair share.
“I love animals,” he said. “I take great care [with nature], and it always reciprocates.”
