Penis-shaped plant species in Cambodia faces possible extinction after TikTok video goes viral

The rare nepenthes plant faces possible extinction in Cambodia, according to the country’s Ministry of Environment. In a Facebook post on May 11, 2022, the ministry shared stills from a TikTok video showing foreign women picking and posing with the penis-shaped pitcher plants. Authorities are warning people to stop uprooting the plants amid reports that others have posted videos of similar actions on social media. The number of nepenthes plants had already been on the decline due to agricultural expansion and tourism in protected areas where they grow.