Tarantula may go off menu in Cambodia

While a plate piled high with hairy, palm-sized tarantulas is the stuff of nightmares for some, these garlic fried spiders are a coveted treat in Cambodia, where the only fear is that they may soon vanish due to deforestation and unchecked hunting.

Taking a bite out of the plump arachnids has become a popular photo-op for squealing tourists who pass through Skun, the central Cambodian town nicknamed “Spiderville”. But the bulk of the clientele are locals who are there to load up on a traditional snack known as “aping” that vendors say is becoming scarce — and more expensive.

“Aping are famous in Cambodia but now they are not abundant, they have become rare,” said Chea Voeun, a tarantula vendorwho also sells other fried insects including crickets and scorpions.

Ms. Voeun used to source the spiders from nearby forests. But those trees have since been razed for cashew nut plantations, forcing Ms. Voeun and other vendors to rely on middlemen to procure the spiders, which are harvested from faraway forested provinces. That has jacked up the price of the tarantulas to $1 a piece, a nearly tenfold spike over the past decade.

But the jungles which are home to them are now rapidly disappearing.

It is not just habitat loss but over-harvesting to meet a high demand that is driving the spiders out of existence, said Tom Gray, director of Science and Global Development for Wildlife Alliance.