Please read: Yosemite "Tarantula Awareness" Festival

[VESPidA]

Hey Cali peeps... what's the deal with this?

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2009/10/18/TR6Q1A3A6R.DTL

http://www.coarsegoldhistoricvillage.com/Tartantula.html

My Aunt sent me this thinking I would be interested, but I'm just confused/angry. Do they really subject T's to racing through dryer tubes? Wt<edit>?:evil:

Has anyone been to this and can comment? I couldn't find more information beyond what was posted, and I was considering calling them to find out more.

Am I overreacting?

 

[Abby]

I hope they won't really be using real T's for their st*pid races

 

[Exo]

It actually sounds like a good idea....in theory. I'm not to sure about these "tarantula races" though....

 

[VESPidA]

It actually sounds like a good idea....in theory. I'm not to sure about these "tarantula races" though....

That's the point... I'm all for tarantula awareness, but not if it involves this kind of treatment, if, in fact, it's what I'm thinking it is. This needs to be stopped.

 

[Exo]

That's the point... I'm all for tarantula awareness, but not if it involves this kind of treatment, if, in fact, it's what I'm thinking it is. This needs to be stopped.

Yeah, good luck with that.

 

[skippy]

i think they just put the T in one end and the first one to come out the other is the winner. it doesn't really seem all that more stressful than handling IMO.

 

[VESPidA]

i think they just put the T in one end and the first one to come out the other is the winner. it doesn't really seem all that more stressful than handling IMO.

Ok, I just couldn't really figure out what was meant by 'dryer tube' racing. I was picturing them in like a hamster wheel/thing.

 

[Mad Hatter]

That does seem a bit odd... it is hard to tell from the site what it is all about. Sounds more like a pumpkin festival than an invert event.

Regardless, I want the awesome "Tarantula Crossing" sign from this link! :drool: Nice!

http://www.coarsegoldhistoricvillage.com/Tartantula.html

 

[spiderfield]

I think its a great idea as it seems to be a festival promoting tarantula awareness. I don't think these races are any different than, say, a roach race or a frog-hopping contest.

 

[VESPidA]

Ok then, I'm more relieved to hear this. And yeah, I really want that sign too!

 

[syndicate]

That's the point... I'm all for tarantula awareness, but not if it involves this kind of treatment, if, in fact, it's what I'm thinking it is. This needs to be stopped.

what kind of treatment??Racing tarantulas isn't going to kill them!

 

[VESPidA]

Perhaps I was overreacting. I just remember a thread where someone was talking about putting her T in one of those hamster wheel things and letting it run around her house 'for fun', and I couldn't quite figure out what they meant by a dryer tube, and my mind jumped to the rotating wheel in a dryer. I'm glad to hear that this isn't what sounds like is happening... (though I really don't think this was too crazy an assumption on my part). Just looking out for our T's!

*slips quietly back into the background...*

 

[Royal_T's]

I think it is stupid really... I refrain from even handling mine unless I'm cleaning their enclosures. They are not subject to things like this in the wild and I think it is best to provide them a life close to what they would have in wild. If you want to promote T awareness than set up displays in event like this and educate people about them rather than racing them. People wouldn't be so affraid of tarantulas if they understood them a little more.

 

[MissChelly]

Ok, I just couldn't really figure out what was meant by 'dryer tube' racing. I was picturing them in like a hamster wheel/thing.

Hahaha... that image made me choke from my spit. LOL!

 

[ZergFront]

Oh sure, California doesn't have nearby expos and cons like in Canada and other parts of the world SELLING tarantulas, but they have races?

They're probably gonna have to prod the tarantulas along, though. Most tarantulas go in short spurts..

 

[hamfoto]

People wouldn't be so affraid of tarantulas if they understood them a little more.

Ummm...that's kind of the point of the festival.

Chris