YouTuber who spent $14K to “transform” into dog opens zoo where people become animals

A YouTuber who spent $14,000 on a hyper-realistic dog costume to “transform” into a Collie is opening up a zoo where people can become animals.

Back in 2023, a Japanese man named ‘Toco’ went viral across social media when he showed off his impressive dog outfit that had people confusing him for an actual canine.

The outfit took 40 days to make and has become a staple of Toco’s YouTube content, but now, he’s taking his doggy empire to another level.

In October, Toco revealed he would be opening ‘Tocotoco Zoo.’ The premise? You become the animal.

YouTuber launches zoo where people pay to become animals

Toco explained his decision to open the zoo in a YouTube video, “I dreamed about becoming an animal since I was a child, and when I grew up, my dream came true in the form of a costume!”

“When I was young, I thought, ‘It would be nice if there was a service where you could become an animal. What can I do to help others who feel the same way I do?’”

According to the zoo’s website, so far, humans are able to put on an Alaskan Malamute consume, but attendees must meet certain criteria such as being shorter than 5’11, but taller than 4’11 to fit inside.

“If you are unable to open or close the mouth, we will give you a 10% discount,” the Tocotoco Zoo site states.

A reservation must be made 30 days in advance and just over $315 for one person to become a dog for 180 minutes. There are other deals for pairs and trios who want to get the most out of the experience.

The zoo held its pre-opening in 2024 and opened officially on January 26 with reservations currently open for February and March. It’s located in Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo.

Toco uploaded a video of a visitor’s experience wearing the costume in December. “The visitor was able to become a dog and perform cute tricks!”

While it’s not known yet what other animal costumes could be in development for Tocotoco Zoo, Toco has indicated that he would be interested in becoming a panda, but ruled out cats or foxes, because they’re “too small for humans to try.”