While chocolates and flowers fly off the shelves, one extraordinary mum at the Australian Reptile Park is carrying a far more precious gift—literally.
Meet Luna, a wolf spider and the Park’s most underrated matriarch. She’s a walking nursery, currently carrying over a hundred spiderlings on her back in a jaw-dropping show of maternal dedication.
Unlike most spiders, wolf spider mums carry their egg sacs and, once hatched, their babies too—24/7. Luna doesn’t rest, fiercely protecting her young until they’re ready to head out on their own.
“Luna is one of the most devoted mothers in the animal kingdom,” says spider keeper Emma Teni. “She reminds us that motherhood isn’t always glamorous—but it’s always powerful.”
Soon, Luna will be released into the wild, where her spiderlings can start their own lives. Visitors can learn more about her and other incredible arachnids at the Park’s ‘Spider World’ exhibit, which also showcases venom milking for life-saving funnel-web spider anti-venom.
Here’s to Luna—an unconventional mum, a symbol of strength, and a true Mother’s Day hero.