- A viral video shows an alligator escaping from its enclosure during feeding time.
- The Reptile
Zoo in California posted the video and has over 10 million followers on TikTok. - The zoo told local news outlet KABC that its social media virality has been good for business.
A California-based reptile zoo went viral in July with a TikTok video showing an eager alligator sliding out of its enclosure in pursuit of food - and the zoo's major social-media presence has been a boon for business, according to local ABC affiliate KABC.
The Reptile Zoo is based in Fountain Valley, California, and has over 10 million followers on TikTok, where it shows off the zoo's animals, which range from gators to geckos. The zoo is owned and operated by father-daughter duo Julie and Jay Brewer, KABC reported.
One of the zoo's videos went particularly viral on TikTok, amassing over 84 million views and 5.1 million likes in 10 days. In the video, Julie opens the alligators' enclosure for a feeding session, armed with a tub of meat and an extendable tool. One of the gators, Darth, then appears to become a bit too eager in the pursuit of the food before slithering out of the tank to end up on the floor.
@thereptilezoo Well this wasn’t expected the questions is how does he get back in ##alligator ##animal ##funny
♬ Comical and a little silly carefree music(831995) - Etsuo Kawasaki
A second post on The Reptile Zoo's TikTok account shows Julie and Jay helping Garth back into the enclosure by lifting him up.
"Only one way out and only one way in," the caption on the video reads. "Luckily we raised Darth from a baby and he's very mellow for a gator."
@thereptilezoo Only one way out and only one way in luckily we raised Darth from a baby and he’s very mellow for a gator ##reptile ##alligator ##darthgator
♬ The Magic Bomb (Extended Mix) - Hoàng Read
KABC reported that the viral video, along with The Reptile Zoo's popular social media presence, has been good for business. Speaking to KABC, some visitors to the zoo said that they had become aware of it via social media.
"We had a billion views last month. One billion views in one 30-day period," Jay told KABC.
In addition to its TikTok presence, The Reptile Zoo also has over 17,000 subscribers on YouTube and approximately 931,000 on Instagram.
The Reptile Zoo did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.