MANILA, PHILIPPINES — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources said Wednesday they are investigating a video of two vloggers mistreating Philippine Tarsiers, a threatened endemic species.
Clips of a video by a vlogger known as “Farm Boy” holding and playing with a tarsier as his companion plucked another one from a tree have raised an outcry on social media.
@viralist8 Mga Vlogger, pinaglaruan ang Tarsier 🎥_Farm Boy #viral #whatsup ♬ original sound – WHAT'S UP?
“This is to inform the public that the DENR-12 (Soccsksargen) monitoring and enforcement team received a report on Monday, April 8, about a disturbing video of improper treatment of Philippine Tarsiers,” DENR said.
It said its investigation found that the two tarsiers had been released into the wild. “However, the agency is still looking for further actions to be taken on the wildlife incident,” the agency added.
In an online exchange, the conservation group Philippine Tarsier Foundation said tarsiers are nocturnal and are usually “resting and more helpless in the daytime,” making it easier for the vloggers to catch them.
“If it were nighttime, it would have been hard (to capture them) as they would see [the vloggers] and escape,” the foundation also told ABS-CBN News.
“But then again. It’s a mother and a baby — she won’t be that agile as she will be carrying the baby.”
The Philippine Tarsier Foundation earlier called out the act, stressing that people’ showcasing animal harassment’ should be held accountable.
Social media platforms like Facebook can take down content that violates community standards, like showing animal abuse.
“The internet has been used to trigger all sorts of negativity and frenzy for monetization. Showcasing’ Animal harassment’ must not get incentivized. and accounts who leverage on it for clout must be taught a lesson,” the conservation group said.
The Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act penalizes “maltreating and inflicting other injuries” to wildlife. The same rule outlaws burning, logging, mining, and quarrying in government-designated essential habitats.
Keep Reading:LIST: Animal Welfare Organizations in the Philippines
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