Controversial TikToker Kyle Thomas is set to be the subject of a new documentary film which will follow his efforts to build a zoo for his exotic animals.
Kyle Thomas – originally from Kent but based in the Lisburn area – is one of the UK’s most popular video personalities on the social media platform.
His videos regularly document his collection of animals, frequently posting videos of them online to his 35.4 million TikTok and 1.5 million Instagram followers. He was also featured on this year’s Forbes Under 30.
The 19-year-old’s efforts to open the zoo, which was to be based in Stoneyford in Co Antrim, will now be the subject of a documentary commissioned by BBC Three and BBC Northern Ireland and produced by Waddell Media.
Back in January it was reported the land on which Mr Thomas’ zoo was situated had been sold and the animals moved from the site.
The official logline for the documentary states the one-off film “digs into the social media sensation’s controversial past when he posted clips of his animals that drew criticism from animal rights activists and the media alike.
“As he tries to move on and find suitable forever homes for his 39 animals, (and after a failed attempt to create his own sanctuary), Kyle teams up with Co Tyrone Builder Phil Hughes, and the duo are now planning to turn Phil’s existing modest petting farm into a world class wildlife park for Kyle’s animals and other unwanted exotics.”
The controversial past refers to how earlier this year, it was revealed Thomas was being investigated by police and the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daeara) over the death of the capybara, named Queen Elizabeth, in 2022.
However, Daera said earlier this month it had closed its investigation, having found no “welfare concerns”.
It is understood the PSNI has now also closed its criminal investigation pending further evidence.
Three people were prosecuted for illegally importing the capybara — a species native to South America — into Northern Ireland.
Mr Thomas’s mother, Zena Foorde, was convicted of keeping a wild animal without a licence. Her conviction came after a vet alerted the authorities after treating the capybara, which later died, for an illness.
The highly social rodents normally inhabit forests and savannas. It is not against UK law to own one.
Thomas continues to post videos on TikTok about his wild animals and as recently as this month said he is planning on travelling to Malaysia for a unknown project with Channel 4.