A large collection of spiders, scorpions and dead snakes were kept for research at a research center in Sao Paulo of Brazil. This was destroyed in fire.

The specimens were kept at the Butantan Institute. The curator of the Butantan Institute has said that this accident has been a great loss to science and research. He has said that about 80,000 preserved snakes and many species of spiders and scorpions were being used for the research program.

This was probably the largest collection of snakes in the world. But, the whole collection was fully damaged by fire. As per the firemen, there was a type of liquid to preserve the dead spices, which was inflammable and that helped the fire to spread up. The cause of the fire has not been revealed yet and it is under investigation now.

Some of the species there were hundred years old and were very rare. There is a house where the animals are kept to produce vaccines and serums, which was safe. The chief of the Institute Mr. Francisco Franco has said this is actually a huge loss because the institute could be made again but it will take hundreds of years to recollect the spices.