Resurfaced Video of Caged Raccoon 'Dancing' Worries Internet: “This Is So Sad”

• An old video of a young woman dancing with a raccoon inside a cage resurfaced on the internet
• A musician named Jaleel shared the clip on his TikTok account to promote his new song, Call Me
• Several social media users were unimpressed with the video, many stating that the animal was showing signs of stress

A musical artist, Jaleel, who tried to promote a new song, used an old clip of a young woman and a caged raccoon performing synchronised dance moves, supposedly to his track Call Me. However, what some thought was an adorable moment was a moment of concern for some.

On 11 September, 2025, Jaleel shared an altered video of the dancing duo on his TikTok account. When the woman performed hand movements in front of the cage, the raccoon did the same gesture while standing on a platform.

'Dancing' raccoon saddens the internet

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While a dancing animal may seem cute, thousands of members of the online community shared how displeased they were with the young woman's actions. Many assumed that the raccoon's movements meant it was stressed out due to its confinement. However, other internet users adored the clip and likened the animal to fictional screen characters.

@username9865322567899 wrote in the post's comment section:

"This is so sad. That poor animal should not be caged. And here you are making fun of it."

@feetsmellaforever added their assumption under the post:

"Not to be that friend that's too woke, but he is doing that because he’s stressed."

@pamw694 shared their opinion of the raccoon's actions:

"The raccoon is bored from being locked in a cage. It's like elephants at the zoo, they swing their bodies from side to side because of being locked or chained up, same with bears. The list goes on. It's just boredom and stress from being in confined spaces."

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@tosinyt jokingly stated:

"The raccoon is more in sync with the rhythm than the human."

@saint_parsons found the video funny and remarked:

"I never laughed so hard in my entire life."

@africagngubane humorously wrote in the comments:

"I see you got your Rocket from 'Guardians of the Galaxy.'"

Take a look at the TikTok video below:

4 Other stories about TikTok dance challenges

• In another article, Briefly News reported that a soldier from the United States posted a video of his take on the Ngishutheni TikTok dance. South Africans didn't hesitate to share their views.
• Last year, a young woman roped her dad into doing a fun TikTok dance challenge. The father couldn't wait for his turn to show his stylish dance moves.
• Dancers from China went viral after they danced to Zenzele, a song that was a hit on the social media platform. Local internet users shared hilarious takes about seeing amapiano having its moment in the Asian country.
• Two learners from a school in Johannesburg impressed the internet when they busted moves to one of Uncle Waffles' songs. The girls were praised for their infectious energy and ability to showcase unity.

Source: Briefly News