A camper's video of an unusually terrifying campmate has left the internet in stitches this week after capturing viral attention.
TikToker kylesthenix shared the video on Monday which has now gained more than 1 million views, thousands of likes and hundreds of comments.
In the video, the camper explains that he was woken at 2 a.m. while camping in Okinawa, Japan.
After hearing scratching outside his tent, the man got up and discovered a coconut crab holding a steak knife and scuttling along. In shock, the TikToker carefully removed the knife from the crustacean and backed away.
"That dude woke up and chose violence," wrote one commenter on the viral video. While another viewer said: "Stay back he knows how to use it."
The large coconut crab is also, aptly it seems, called a "robber crab." Native to the southwest Pacific and Indian oceans, the large nocturnal land crabs are closely related to the hermit crab and king crab. Adult coconut crabs can reach around 1 meter (over 3 feet) in length and weigh around 4.5kg (nearly 10lbs).
Known for being scavengers, they often feed on fallen fruit and the shells of other crabs. While this one has picked up an extra tool, it's unlikely that these creatures would find much use for a knife thanks to their huge pincers.
Named for their ability to crack open coconuts with their claws, some of the largest of the species can exert a force of over 3,000 newtons or around 742 pounds of force with their pincers.
"Maybe the crab had the soul of last samurai," joked another commenter, while one reply simply said: "Absolutely not."
"Why do crabs like knives so much?" asked another TikTok user. "This is like the 4th different video I've seen of a crab stealing a knife." But the poster thinks he knows the answer on this occasion and explained that the knife had some ribeye residue on it—the perfect lure for a scavenging crab.
"That's a tough neighborhood," joked another commenter.
"What? Killer crabs?" said another TikToker. "My nightmare has come true. I couldn't cope."
The video also prompted others to share their camping animal encounters. One viewer shared: "My best animal encounter story while camping is that I once woke up from an arctic fox tripping over a guyline. But this tops everything."
Another camping fan said: "Better than when I woke up to a skunk in the vestibule of my tent. Just wanted to cuddle. I shooed it off without being sprayed."
Newsweek has reached out to kylesthenix for comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Alice Gibbs is a Newsweek Senior Internet Trends & Culture Reporter based in the U.K. For the last two years ... Read more
