Man who spent $14,000 to 'become a dog' opens fantasy zoo with jaw-dropping entrance fee
A man who spent thousands of dollars to 'become a dog' is now opening his own 'zoo'.
Yes, you read the above line correctly: a man paid an eye-watering $14,000 to live out his dream of becoming a Border Collie.
Of course he didn't literally become a dog, but YouTuber Toco purchased an eerily realistic-looking dog suit and proceeded to live like a dog – crate and all.
To really prove that he was a dog, Toco even took part in an agility course.
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Now he wants people to live their best doggy lives too, and has opened a Japan-based 'zoo'.
Taking to Instagram to announce the unusual news, Toco penned in October: "We are opening a zoo where you can become an animal, where you can make your dream of becoming an animal come true!"
The post continued: "I have had the dream of becoming an animal since I was a child, and I have made it come true in the form of a mascot costume. When I was young, I thought, 'It would be nice if there was a service where you could become an animal. Maybe there is something I can do now for people who have the same thoughts as me?'"
Named Tocotoco Zoo, people are able to go there to 'wear a mascot costume and become an animal'.
The unique business venture is believed to now be open, having opened its doors on January 26.
As per its site, the only animal option currently available is for people to become an Alaskan Malamute.
According to The Express US, it costs a whopping $250 to hire the suit for a morning or afternoon.
You have to make reservations 30 days in advance, and there's a warning that people with 'stiff muscles' may struggle to get into the Malamute suit.
Toco's own Border Collie suit isn't available for reservations.
As to why he chose to become that breed of dog, the YouTuber previously revealed to Mynavi: "I chose a collie because of my preference and because I wanted it to look realistic when made into a costume.
"I like animals that walk on four legs, and I especially like cute animals. Among those, I thought that a large animal that is close to us would be best for a realistic design, so I decided to go with a dog.
"Long-haired dogs can disguise their human body shape, so I chose a collie, which met those criteria and is a breed I've always liked."
Each to their own!
Niamh Shackleton