A UK man has died after receiving a bite from a venomous spider that he bought online, according to his family.
The man, 38-year-old Mark Anthony Kirby from Prescot, England, died on Aug. 2 after suffering flu-like symptoms, his ex Kayleigh Gill told The Liverpool Echo.
Kirby, the father of two teenagers with Gill, had bought five pet spiders from the internet in the weeks before his death. He had just returned from a family trip on July 26 when he began to feel temperature changes and body aches.
He reportedly called his sister and said he couldn’t breathe on Aug. 2 before falling to the ground. While an official cause of death hasn’t been determined, Gill said the family believes Kirby suffered from a spider bite.
"He told me about the bite, and I said he needed to go to hospital, but he didn't," Gill said. "People shouldn't be able to buy these spiders online, people should need licenses to own them."
It’s unclear what type of spiders Kirby bought, but the UK is home to 650 species, 12 of which are known to bite, per the National History Museum. The U.S. only has two venomous species of spider, the black widow and brown recluse. Death or major injuries from spider bites in both countries are rare.
Gill said that Kirby was “obsessed” with the spiders and believed he had bought them because he lived alone.
"He was always terrified of insects when we were together," she explained. "Even though we had split up, we were best friends. He put our children first."
Gill described Kirby as a “funny, caring, outgoing” and a “brilliant dad” to their children, a 17-year-old daughter and 18-year-old son. She said his death came as a “complete shock.”