He chose a strange hobby after a doctor's advice to occupy his spare time
When a therapist asked Aaron Phoenix, 35, to find a hobby to occupy his long free time, after he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, he expected him to commit to a sport or a familiar hobby, and it did not occur to him what kind of hobby would occupy his patient for the coming years, which led the young man to collect more From 300 species of giant spiders "tarantulas" in his home in Bristol, United Kingdom.
In the summer of 2021, Aaron Phoenix started collecting spiders and now has 300 mega-class of them.
Instead of practicing a new sport or learning a new skill, Aaron decided to adopt over a hundred spiders initially, doubling the number after seven months.
The spiders in his private bedroom vary, but they are all medium or large in size, as he says his "current pride and joy is the female Mexican tarantula, Flame Knee, worth over £160", noting at the same time that his collection continues to grow. , where "Everyone has their own passion, and this is my passion."
As reported by the newspaper "Daily Star"
"The government mail delivery people know me as 'Spiderman' because every week they bring me my new pets (..) I could sit and watch them for hours, they had an amazing effect on me and I will never give up owning a tarantula now," Aaron adds. By saying that it "worked wonders" for his mental health, sitting in the spiders' room became his "happy place".
"But at the same time, he admits, 'I still have sad moments but now I generally feel like I'm in a place where my mental health has improved and I'm really happy - thanks to the spiders.'"
Aaron hopes one day to open his own pet store and to raise baby spiders to sell to collectors.
The ultimate goal, he says, "is to do everything wisely for my work, there is a long way to go but it is a beginning."
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