Tourist realizes mistake after attempting to pet cute-looking animal on beach trip: 'They bite'

A tourist had a near miss when trying to engage with a cute animal on a beach trip in Mexico, not realizing the potential danger they faced.

A travel page on TikTok, Luxury on a Budget (@bookthevacation), posted an up close and personal video with a coati, an omnivore related to raccoons that is native to Central and South America.

While the person recording is cooing over the (very cute) animal, they ask if they carry rabies. Another person near them says, "No." And even after asking if they bite, and the other person responding, "Well, if you try to pet them," the person recording sticks out their hand to pet the coati.

The tourist later learned coatis can be rabies carriers since their onscreen text says, "DO NOT do what I did. YES they carry rabies and YES THEY BITE."

Even the cutest wild animal can become aggressive with humans if it feels threatened or is trying to get food. Coatis, or coatamundi as they're sometimes known, have faced increased habitat loss in recent years due to deforestation and agriculture. As a result, they've been interacting with humans more and more.

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