A performer brought her taxidermied fox puppet in her carry-on luggage. A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agent asked her what was in the bag and couldn’t believe what he saw when he opened it up.
In a video with over 2.4 million views, TikToker Malie (@themalieshow) films herself walking through airport security. The TSA agent asks her, “Nothing controlled or fragile inside the bag?”
Malie tells him that the contents of the bag are indeed fragile, explaining that there is a taxidermied fox inside. The agent opens the bag and stares blankly at the fox.
Malie’s snaggletoothed taxidermied fox, named Estelle, is the star of her TikTok page with over 301,000 followers. She uses the fox as a puppet to sing popular TikTok songs and perform skits.
“I just now realized what I was staring at,” he says after pausing for several seconds. He closes her carry-on after inspecting the contents.
On-screen text reads, “The fact that my puppet gets flagged on every flight.”
Can You Bring Taxidermy On A Plane?
Travelers can bring taxidermy on their flights in both their carry-on and checked luggage. However, there are some additional steps they may need to take to get through security smoothly.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), certain taxidermied animals, such as bats, rodents, and turtles, may need a taxidermy certificate that shows they’ve been checked for disease in order to travel. The CDC may disallow certain animal remains from air travel if they are deemed high risk for infection, too.
Even if travelers get a taxidermy certificate, they may still need to plan for extra time to go through security. Members of the r/taxidermy subreddit shared their experience flying with the preserved animals in their luggage.
“Full animal mounts may occasionally draw attention from airport security since it can appear on the baggage scan that a live animal is inside the bag,” one suggested. “But once they confirm it is taxidermy they have no issue with it.”
Another wrote, “It attracted a lot of attention from TSA but once they confirmed nothing was alive they sent me on my way.”
Viewers Feel For The TSA Agent
For many viewers, the viral TikTok was their first impression of Malie and her taxidermied fox Estelle. When they clicked on her page, they said they aren’t shocked by the agent’s reaction.
“He had to fully reboot after laying eyes on Estelle,” one joked.
Another remarked, “I had no idea what Estelle was gonna look like.. I was not ready either.”
“I love that I found this before knowing what it was and now I am cackling at his reaction cuz honestly that was rather calm,” a third wrote.
“Found this before knowing what the puppet looked like. Clicked on your profile to see it. And I completely understand his reaction. If anything that was mild,” a fourth commenter added.
Some pointed out that his shocked but subdued reaction could mean he’s seen more shocking items come through the security line.
“The non reaction makes me wonder what things he sees that cause a reaction,” a viewer pointed out.
A second said, “I know it’s super annoying for the people who get flagged but I can only imagine the things the workers have seen in people’s bags.”
@themalieshow ma’am it is 7am
BroBible reached out to Malie via Instagram and TikTok direct message and to the TSA via email for further comment. We will update the story when the reply.