There's a lot of love out there for animals, but we don't really express it in the most even way. Sure, most of us will love and adore cats, dogs, horses, dolphins and penguins... but when it comes to the less-than-cute varieties that populate the Earth, our love for 'all creatures' starts to wane a bit. A little piglet? Absolutely adorable. A fully grown pig? Not quite so much.
This is especially true when it comes to insects and other creepy crawlies, which are far more likely to inspire freakouts and terrified meltdowns in us than any kindness. Spiders are one of the most common fears to have - with even those of us who are happy to catch a spider to throw it outside, the big ones can really scare us.
However, Barnyard Betty is happy to treat all creatures with the same love.
Barnyard Betty's Rescue is a "sanctuary for orphaned, mistreated and unwanted farm animals who if not rescued would be destined for a certain death," and that extends to all sorts of creatures. She keeps her Facebook updated with all the various critters she saves, and this time she found something that most of us would sprint away from rather than look after.
This gigantic Huntsman spider, which she affectionately named 'Charlotte', was described by Betty as "beautiful". On her Facebook page, she wrote:
"Beautiful Charlotte the spider, one of my best rescues yet :-) To answer some of your questions: She is a Huntsman Spider and we are located in Queensland Australia and yes she is very real and very large and not photo shopped!! I released her here on the farm after rescuing her so I can’t get anymore photos or video her I’m sorry. She was going to be killed by humans.
"She was a beautiful, calm spider, not aggressive in any way and like most spiders she just wanted to go about her business eating bugs and living in peace. She didn’t or doesn’t need to be killed! Poor spiders are so misunderstood!
"All creatures great and small are welcome here at Barnyard Betty’s Rescue a safe haven no matter how you look!!"
She received a lot of support on the page for her philosophy on looking after all creatures. "You’re a kind soul Betty! I agree, spiders and so many other creatures are either misunderstood or people just don’t like the way they look," one user said.
"This planet belongs to all living creatures and all deserve to live out their lives," another added. "Most are just trying to live and survive and have it much rougher than us humans."
In a later post, she reflected on the original moment, which occurred three years ago. She described how she "coaxed her onto a broom," snagged a few photos then released her into the wild.
Loving the sentiment - but I have to admit I'd be running in the opposite direction!