A viral TikTok showing a meerkat tied to a chair at a pop-up petting zoo in a Kuala Lumpur shopping centre has sparked widespread outrage, with many Malaysians questioning the legality and ethics of the setup.
In the video, originally posted by TikTok user @aiza, the meerkat — an animal native to the African continent — is seen pacing in circles on a leash, appearing restless and exposed.
A donation box labelled “donation for the animals” was placed nearby, while the meerkat remained tethered in full view of the public.
The user said she confronted the man collecting donations but was stunned by his casual response.
“I went to the guy collecting money and asked if the meerkat had been like this all day. He said, ‘Yes, any problem??’ Are you serious??”
Hundreds of commenters voiced concern for the animal’s welfare.
User @tehyobgie remarked, “Donation for animals but abuse animals? The heck!”
Meanwhile, @Azrael added, “This is truly heartbreaking. It wasn’t born to live like this. It just wants to be free.”
The outrage soon spread to Reddit, where user @Affectionate-Bug5452 clarified:
“Meerkats are under the ‘exotic wildlife’ category in the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010. You need a special permit from PERHILITAN to keep one — otherwise it’s illegal.”
Another commenter, @DangIt_MoonMoon, wrote, “Malaysians are still not educated when it comes to being kind to animals. What the user posted is really some rubbish third world country nonsense.”
While some debated whether meerkats are endangered, most agreed that using exotic animals to solicit donations is deeply unethical.
@Appropriate-Rub3534 said, “I would make a scene and call the manager to remove that. Whether endangered or not, torturing animals is not acceptable.”
@kurangak added, “Meerkats are very social animals. Poor thing had to live alone.”
Calls for immediate reporting to PERHILITAN, Malaysia’s wildlife department, have flooded both TikTok and Reddit.
But @Affectionate-Bug5452 cautioned, “Sometimes they only take action when it’s actively happening.”
As the video continues to circulate, animal lovers and welfare advocates are urging authorities to intervene before more animals are subjected to similar treatment.
