Toilet paper has been a hot commodity worldwide from Singapore to Hong Kong, and recently in Australia -- where a shopper pulled a knife on another shopper because of it.

Easily excitable shoppers have been getting their hands on rolls and rolls of these bottom-wipers to the extent Australian supermarkets are limiting purchases to four packets per panic buyer.

And in the midst of the buying frenzy, some pranksters Down Under have hit upon the next big multi-thousand dollar business idea: Toilet paper catcher.

Shoppers in South Australia woke up one day and realised that they are able to win it instead of getting into a scrum for it.

This arcade claw game was spotted at a shopping centre in Victor Harbour.

An Australian reportedly said after seeing it: "I thought it was just the funniest, most typical Australian thing ever."

No one has owned up to the prank, apparently.

Why do people buy toilet paper?

Experts in Australia believe the demand for toilet paper has to do with the need to maintain control.

"When people hear about the coronavirus, they are afraid of losing control. And the toilet paper feels like a way to maintain control over hygiene and cleanliness," Niki Edwards from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) told The Conversation.

It also doesn't help that toilet paper flying off the shelves are more highly visible than other smaller, less noticeable items, such as canned beans or batteries.