Exotic Pets Are Now Becoming 'TikTok Stars,' But Experts Warn of Unseen Dangers

Lance Corporal first appeared on TikTok in 2018, appearing to shake along to fast music before rushing to bite and rub his face on his owner's fingers.

Then, a video showing the now four-year-old white fox excavating a hole through his beloved couch to hide went viral, with 6.5 million views.

@thewhiteredfoxSO YOU WANT A FOX HUH️#foryou #foryoupage #pettv #foxesoftiktok #kids #foxy #tiktokcreator #reacttothis ♬ original sound - The White Red Fox®️

With over 2 million followers on TikTok, the fox is now a celebrity. Troy Hoffman, a handicapped soldier with nine dogs, shares footage of Lance playing with his pitbull best buddy, resting in odd corners around the house, or barking that he's hungry, lonely, or afraid.

Hoffman remarked, "He's got this very wonderful smile and just like a positive feeling about him. So we're simply trying to generate positive material with that."

Exotic Animals on Tiktok

TikTok users are entertained with charming cats, dogs, and bunnies. However, vidoes featuring exotic pets such as servals, raccoons, kinkajous, and foxes, which have received millions of views, are increasing in popularity.

According to experts, these videos are causing TikTok users to purchase exotic creatures without thinking about the responsibilities that come with having one.

"On TikTok, we can only display the positive for one minute and not the terrible," Nancy Coyne, a wildlife rehabilitation specialist, explained.

"When that animal turns around and attacks someone, no one on TikTok is going to show it. So you're just getting the nice and cuddly side of things; you're missing out on the other side. The opposite side is generally when they reach adulthood."

It gets increasingly difficult to control these animals as they grow larger.

Related Article: How To Properly Take Care of Exotic Pets

Preparation

On the other hand, Hoffman said he did a lot of study and preparation before buying Lance from an exotic pet shop in Pensacola, Florida. And he's still picking up on his habits.

For example, Hoffman discovered a community of fox TikTokkers, including @Juniperfoxx, @napkinsthefox, and @kikithefox_, who share tips on how to care for their foxes, such as using corn cob shavings in their litter boxes to keep the animals from becoming poisoned if they eat the food they hide in it, which is a common behavior for fox pets.

Big-Cat Accounts

Big-cat accounts on TikTok, such as Luna the black leopard and Messi the puma, have a significant following: owners cuddling and playing with them like domestic cats.

Stryker, a serval, has eight million followers. Over 46 million people watched a video of the TikTok star moaning profoundly while carrying an entire chicken in his mouth.

@feliciawilson_85 Inspired by @mimi_starr call the PO PO HO€ ♬ I Aint scared of no po po - TikToksSoundGuy

Felicia Wilson, a TikTokker, mocks how guests are quickly terrified away when they first encounter her two African servals, Juno and Asha, in viral TikToks. The servals were rescued from their owners' mistreatment.

Wilson, an animal transporter, claimed she accidentally broadcast her first TikTok because she mistook it for a video editing software and didn't aware it had gone public.

"I said, well, this is a fantastic chance for me to share my transportation with people because it's exciting, fascinating, and challenging," she explained. "And then attempt to teach them a little bit about servals."