‘Real worms are not scary’: Chinese boy defangs bugs and hosts field trips for insect lovers, earns 10 million fans

A nine-year-old boy in southern China is on a mission to turn bugs from creepy crawlies to the interesting and extremely important creatures that they are.

While many people in urban China are disgusted, or scared of, insects, the primary-school boy, named Zhang Heyi, understands that they form one of the most crucial factors supporting the health of our ecosystem.

Furthermore, Zhang is leveraging social media to try and spread the word that our cohabitants are not worth worrying about.

“Now, many people are scared of worms, but real worms are not scary,” he said.

In a viral video, Zhang, resting his head on a table, stares at a praying mantis as it climbs onto his forehead. The boy smiles. Next, he is seen grabbing a few cockroaches that have managed to escape their holding pen.