Instagram influencer slammed for chopping up baby dolphin before frying and eating it says it was just a prank
A social media influencer has drawn the ire of animal lovers after he posted a "prank video" pretending to eat a baby dolphin.
While the dolphin was merely a prop created using a 3D printer, not everyone saw the humor in the stunt, with many of his 1.6m followers branding him "disgusting."
The 24-year-old from Stuttgart, who assumes the name Inscopenico, was inundated with messaged from animal activists who thought he had actually killed, cooked, and consumed a real baby dolphin, according to LadBible.
The prank video, which is fairly convincing to the unsuspecting eye, shows Inscopenico chopping up the dummy dolphin, frying it in a pan, and then eating it.
The influencer was forced to reveal that the dolphin was not real and that it was created using a 3D printer after a sizeable proportion of his followers had a meltdown. "I am playing with my reputation here," he said. "It was a risky stunt and I don't know how it will end."
In fact, the video was actually made in collaboration with 'Followfish', an organization dedicated to protecting the seas as well as endangered or rare species, Inscopenico said. "I wanted to make people think," he added. "I am not a vegan but I have started to think about what I eat. People should think about what they eat and not just eat the cheapest meats and should inform themselves more."
But quite a few of his followers were not still impressed. "You are a sick idiot," one critic wrote. "Dolphin is also full of quicksilver and a quarter of all dolphin breeds are endangered. Regardless of whether real or fake, you are still a complete idiot."
"Inscope ate a rare baby dolphin how disgusting has YouTube become," another comment read.
However, others realized it was just a prank. "A dolphin made of plastic and everyone is flipping out," one wrote.
"Surely his followers are used to his humor by now," another user assumed.
The popular influencer shared another video following the outrage, explaining his actions and proving to his audience the dolphin was made of silicone.