‘Evil’ Prairie Dog Wreaking Havoc At Texas Wildlife Park

Prairie Dogs are my favorite part at the zoo; they're small and cute and I just feel like If I had the chance, I could totally domesticate one and make it my pet! However, after finding out about this Prairie Dog at Texas Wildlife Park, I may want to rethink that.

Meet Chunk, the Prairie Dog Going Viral in Texas

Chunk is a 6-year-old prairie dog living at Texas Wildlife Park in Mountain Home, about 17 miles west of Kerrville and just outside the San Antonio area. Despite his tiny size, Chunk has gone massively viral, racking up more than a million views across TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.

Videos show Chunk chutting his teeth, lunging at zoo staff’s shoes and ankles, and making it very clear that he is not here to be friends. Zoo employees have jokingly described his behavior as a “tiny reign of terror,” and the internet can’t get enough.

Why Texas Wildlife Park Staff Keep Their Distance

Texas Wildlife Park offers guided, close-up encounters with animals like lemurs, sloths, coatis, African crested porcupines, and even big cats such as mountain lions and a tiger. Visitors can also meet Chunk’s fellow prairie dogs, Cheech and Chonga- two friendly females who love to cuddle.

Chunk does not participate.

In viral TikToks, social media manager Molly O’Dell explains that Chunk is placed in a kennel- jokingly calling it “jail- during encounters. While the nickname is played for laughs, it’s actually a standard safety measure for both guests and Chunk himself.

Chunk Isn’t Evil, He’s Just a Wild Texas Prairie Dog

Despite his online reputation, O’Dell is quick to clarify that Chunk isn’t evil. His antisocial behavior began around sexual maturity, and like many wild animals, he has firm boundaries.

Chunk also reserves his good moods for Texas Wildlife Park owners Rick and Leslie Tozer, who once had him as a personal pet. Everyone else? Not so much.

The Internet Is Obsessed With This Texas Prairie Dog

Chunk’s refusal to be friendly has only fueled his fame. Fans have flooded social media with “free my boy” memes and comments admitting they’d still risk it for an encounter.

The more Chunk pushes people away, the more the internet roots for him- helping Texas Wildlife Park grow to more than 372,000 followers since opening in 2023.

While Chunk is permanently banned from cuddles, fans can still enjoy his evil shuffling through Texas Wildlife Park’s social media accounts. The private, appointment-only zoo offers supervised animal encounters ranging from $100 to $575, just don’t expect Chunk to be part of the experience.

As O’Dell recently put it, Chunk doesn’t crave cuddles.

He craves violence!