YouTuber Ross Creations has received widespread criticism following the posting of a viral video depicting his own ‘opossum launcher.’ In the Instagram post on November 30, 2025, a wild American opossum stepped onto a catapult baited with food and was flung several meters into the air, but it walked away without injury. Though this seemed to be the case for the opossum, some fans have condemned Ross for his lack of concern about this act, which has been described by many to be cruel. Many have signed online petitions requesting action by authorities on this violation of state laws against animal cruelty in Florida.An investigation was conducted by the Florida State Attorney’s Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). There were reports filed at the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office concerning the video shoot. The Emergency Response Team Director for PETA, Kristin Rickman, stated that the video was “absolutely sickening” and described it as “It’s a horrifying and gratuitous use of cruelty against an animal who is simply trying to exist.” According to Florida Statute 828.12, animal cruelty may involve the unnecessary torturing, over-driving, or mutilation of any animal through imprisonment or a fine. As yet, Ross Creations has not commented publicly on the video shoot, though the video has been removed from his page.
Ross Creations’ viral opossum catapult prompts authorities to launch investigation
In the video below, Ross was able to demonstrate the effectiveness of the device by placing some food on the catapult, enticing the opossum onto it, and launching the opossum several meters high into the air. While Ross joked about the incident, many viewers took to social media to condemn the stunt as an act of animal cruelty. Ross has had two run-ins with the law in the past for impersonating a police officer in 2019 and trespassing in 2024. The FWC has called for anyone with information about the event to call the Wildlife Alert Hotline. The incident has led to wider debates over the ethics of content creators on the Internet, as well as the effects of extreme prank videos. Some have come up in support of Ross Creation as a prankster, while others have stated that it is the responsibility of public figures not to do anything that will actually hurt animals. The end result of the investigation may lead to serious charges for Ross, depending on how it is determined by the State of Florida.Also Read: Twitch streamer Rakai mocked Kai Cenat’s mental health video, sparking online outrage
