YouTube Is In Love With This Adopted Grocery Store Lobster

Brady Brandwood has captured the internet's attention with his heartwarming experiment of adopting a grocery store lobster. After repurposing a large saltwater aquarium tank he had just sitting at home, this animal-lover then documented his experience with taking home a pet lobster he named Leon. Says Brandwood in his now viral YouTube mini-documentary, "I'm not sure exactly if I'm rescuing it, or more just curious about what they're like and how they act day-to-day."

Upon placing the lobster in the tank, the new pet-parent remarks that he has no idea how long Leon has been in the store tank, or when it was last fed, but that it seems to have a decent appetite. Throughout the 15-minute video, Brandwood continues to describe his efforts to make Leon happy and healthy.

Since publishing it in late October, the piece has racked up more then 9 million views with many people loving Leon's journey and viewers fascinated by the slow yet engaging story. As one person commented, "This man literally did what every 4-year-old wish they couldve [sic] done with the lobsters at the grocery store." And another commented, "This story could legit be made into a quality Netflix documentary movie or series. It would be better than 90%+ of the content on the platform for sure." 

YouTubers simply can't get enough when it comes to watching this otherwise forgotten creature be lovingly nursed back to health and with many wondering if they could do the same.

If you, like YouTuber Brady Brandwood, wish to keep a lobster as a pet, there are a few things you should know — namely, that not all are the same (via Petful). Different lobsters need different habitats, from varied water temperature to knowing whether or not they will try to eat their tank friends. In fact, there are only four species recommended for a tank, including Red Lobster (not the restaurant), as well as Spiny, Feather Star Squat, and Debelius lobsters. So, you'll want to do your research before trying this at home.

As for Leon, however, this lobster seems to be doing just fantastic! After 81 days, on December 21, Brandwood posted an update on how Leon is doing, noting he's a tank-dwelling thriver. The video's 3 million-plus viewers were incredibly touched hearing the news. Said one follower, "Every person deserves someone who loves them as much as this man loves this lobster." Another commented, "Never thought I'd be emotionally invested in the well-being of a lobster, but here we are. Thank you for the update!"

As for Brandwood's own reflection on the experience, he remarked, "Leon has touched the hearts of many who see what an interesting creature he is." We'd have to agree, and we can't wait to learn more about his journey with hopefully more updates coming soon!