A German man tragically met a horrifying fate after being bitten and killed by his pet black widow spider, leading to his body being consumed by his collection of pets in his home resembling a zoo, which included 200 insects and lizards.
Police discovered Mark Voegel deceased in his small apartment in 2004, surrounded by a variety of insects feasting on his body, as reported by The Courier Mail.
The black widow spider responsible for the fatal bite was named Bettina, whose venom was significantly more potent than that of a rattlesnake, cobra, or coral snake.
Describing the scene as akin to a horror film, a police spokesperson detailed the macabre sight of webs covering Voegel with spiders crawling in and out of his orifices, while lizards devoured pieces of his flesh that were then carried back to the tarantulas and other large spiders.
Voegel, known for his reclusive nature, kept to himself in his Dortmund residence, which police likened to a mix of botanical gardens and a scene from The Silence of the Lambs.
In addition to spiders, Voegel housed a boa constrictor, various snakes, poisonous frogs, and a gecko named Helmut. Sadly, he was estimated to have passed away one to two weeks before his discovery by authorities, prompted by complaints from neighbors about a foul odor emanating from his apartment.
Reports indicated the apartment was teeming with life, with cages and terrariums left open, resulting in a chaotic environment reminiscent of a zoo apocalypse. The eerie setting was further enhanced by a strange green light illuminating the space, alongside thousands of termites found among his possessions.
Local expert Gabi Bayer criticized Voegel’s ownership of aggressive pets, comparing some of his spiders to pit bulls for their hostile nature.