A viral video appears to show a creature hiding in lamps while stowing away in flight

Passengers on a flight to Los Angeles were left unnerved by an unexpected stowaway who appeared to be hiding in the plane's lighting fixtures after a paw and snout silhouette appeared above their heads.

In a viral video that has been viewed over three million times on TikTok and Instagram, a passenger captured the moment the silhouette of a type of rodent, or possum, crawled around in a light fixture on the cabin ceiling of an airplane.

Social media commentators and other media outlets suspected that the plane belonged to Spirit Airlines due to the yellow color scheme in the cabin.

Spirit Airlines said in a statement The Daily Mail that they are “aware of the video and are taking steps to address this matter.”

The person who recorded the video said she was flying from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in Texas to LAX sometime last week when she caught a glimpse of what appeared to be the animal scurrying over passengers' heads.

In the video, small paws first appear in the silhouette, then a snout appears before the shadowy figure scurries out of view.

It is unclear at what point during the three-hour flight the rodent-like outlines appeared and on what exact date the incident occurred.

Some social media users found the video amusing, while others expressed serious concerns.

“He's probably been all over the world,” one Instagram user wrote, while another said: “Ratotuille has changed careers I see.”

One commented that the passenger was flying “Chuck E Cheese Airlines,” although someone else asked if it was a possum rather than a rat or mouse.

Another joked: “He's just following his dreams and trying to get to LA. Will be a [star] one day.”

While some saw the crawling creature's humor, others feared the animal could harm the plane.

“Dude! “When that thing chews through wires in the air,” one wrote, while another said: “My fear of flying has just reached another level.”

One TikTok user was more worried about the animal. “Poor baby. Was he saved?” they wrote.

The video came after another airline found a blind rodent hiding in an in-flight meal in September.

A Scandinavian Airlines flight from the Norwegian capital Oslo to Malaga in southern Spain was diverted to Copenhagen after a live mouse jumped out of the food.

After the emergency landing, the passengers were later flown to Malaga on another plane.

The Independent has reached out to Spirit Airlines for comment.

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