Discover Marine and Wild Life Eco Centre is on the hunt for a centipede— and is offering a reward for those who can capture one.

Stephanie Jansen, the centre’s owner, said the last one they owned was during the period of the border closures due to Covid-19, so it had been a while since they had such a specimen.

They are still unsure how the previous centipede died.

“We hold a range of critters, from hermit and coconut crabs, to starfish to eels and sea cucumbers, but we never got around to replacing the last one which died,” Jansen said.

“People who haven’t seen a centipede before are usually quite interested, they’re interesting looking creatures.”

However, Jansen said she was aware that some people on the island did not like centipedes.

“Even a small one can deliver a nasty bite. I’ve heard it can be excruciatingly painful,” she said.

“I guess I’ve been lucky in that I’ve never been bitten by one.”

Jansen said centipedes were nocturnal insects, which might make them difficult to find.

“They also feed on cockroaches, which we would be able to be sourced from our worm farm,” she said.

“But I appreciate they’re fairly scaring looking insects.”

 Jansen said she had heard of people “chopping up centipedes with a machete”.

“We don’t want people to do that,” she said.

Jansen said people should place the centipede in a container before delivering it to the centre.

“The reward is free entry and an ice cream, so we’re looking for anyone to help us with this search,” she said.

“They also get naming rights of the insect.”