CANBERRA, Oct 8, (Agencies): An Australian woman had a surprising encounter when she stumbled upon an exceptionally large pregnant spider in her office. Debbie Ellwood, a resident of Central Queensland employed by a small trade business, made this startling discovery on September 18.

Ellwood described the unusual incident, saying, "I was on a handheld phone when I picked up a ring binder folder, and the spider jumped out as I opened it and it ran down my forearm and onto my desk." She added, "We don't get too many spiders in this area, most of the large dangerous ones are in the cooler states. But it is possible for them to hitch rides on freight."

In photos taken by Ellwood, the formidable arachnid can be seen alongside a pink stapler and paperclip on her office desk. Although the encounter startled her, Ellwood managed to safely remove the spider using a colander, a calendar, and her laptop.

Curious about the spider's identity, Ellwood shared pictures of the creature with her family in an attempt to seek answers. When no one could identify it, her niece, Tina Bates, took to a Facebook group called "Australian Spider Identification" to ask for assistance. She posted, "Hi everyone, my Aunty found this spider in her office in Mackay QLD. It was relocated safely, outside in a colander so she didn’t have to touch it. Does anyone know what type it is?"

A top contributor to the Facebook group identified the spider as a "very gravid jungle huntsman," with the term "gravid" indicating that it was carrying eggs. Another group expert confirmed it as a female Heteropoda species from the Sparassidae family.

Despite their intimidating appearance, huntsman spiders are generally not considered dangerous, according to the Australian Museum. They possess venom, but they are typically non-aggressive and prefer to flee rather than bite.

Reflecting on the encounter, Ellwood expressed relief that she didn't harm the spider, saying, "I'm glad I never hurt it." She also acknowledged that summoning bravery in that moment was no easy feat.