Fen Raft Spiders are making an "incredible comeback" in the UK with as many as 10,000 breeding females believed to be spread over 12 sites.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has championed conservation efforts in Norfolk, with 3,750 spiders reportedly in the area.

These spiders can grow as large as the palm of your hand and are able to sit on the surface of water due to their hairy legs.

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They can be identified by their brown or black body, and their white or cream stripes along their side.

As semi-aquatic arachnids, they tend to live in wetlands across the South of England Wales and can run across the water to catch prey, including fish.

The RSPB Mid Yare nature reserves site manager, Tim Strudwick, said: "The Fen Raft Spider is one of the UK's rarest invertebrates and we are proud of the role our reserves and teams have played in its recovery.

"These spiders have an important role in maintaining the rich aquatic diversity found in the grazing ditches on our reserves. The females are impressive in size, but also beautiful - they are truly special to see!"

"The spiders are only seen in the grazing marsh ditches and are fairly shy but are easier to see from June to September.

"Walking along the meadow trail gives visitors at Strumpshaw Fen the best chance of sightings of the mature females and their glistening nursery webs, so now is the perfect time to make a trip to the reserve."

Jane Sears, an RSPB ecologist, added: "The RSPB has played an important role in the reintroduction of these spiders and means we must continue to restore, manage and protect the wetland habitats where the Fen Raft Spider thrives to ensure the future of not just this species, but many others too."

It comes weeks after it emerged that thousands of giant spiders that can grow to the size of a human hand are thriving in the UK, thanks to a successful breeding programme from Chester Zoo.

Chester Zoo said it had helped to release "thousands" 10 years ago, adding "you can't miss them, they grow to be the size of your hand!"

"We're super proud to be part of this conservation breeding rescue programme, working alongside our friends at the RSPB to prevent the extinction of the fen raft spider," the zoo said in a post on X.

"Of course, there is also nothing to fear from increased numbers of spiders," Dave Clarke, who heads up London zoo's Friendly Spider Programme, wrote in a blog post.

"This is a huge conservation success, both for the spiders and the wider habitat restoration driving the success. And more natural bio-controls out there (even if this species is never coming into human areas) are only a good thing."

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