Trigger warning: mentions of animal abuse
A video by a content creator by the name of “Farm Boy,” went viral after a clip from his video shows him disturbing a tarsier from its habitat.
In the video, it shows a man holding the tarsier tightly while happily playing with the creature. It also shows his companion taking the other tarsier from the tree, asking the animal to smile.
The clip later reached DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) to which they later said that they are looking into video of two vloggers mishandling the endangered Philippine species.
“This is to inform the public that the DENR-12 monitoring and enforcement team received a report on Monday, April 8th, about a disturbing video of improper treatment of Philippine Tarsiers. The video was posted on social media by a vlogger known as ‘Farm Boy’ from Polomolok, South Cotabato.” DENR wrote in a statement.
DENR also stated that they are conducting an investigation into the matter.
courtesy: DENR
The Philippine Tarsier Foundation spoke out about the situation—saying people who participate in “showcasing animal harassment” should be held accountable.
The group also condemned the act of the vlogger for mistreating the animal—adding that the public should not tolerate the accounts who reported the video.
“The internet has been used to trigger all sorts of negativity and frenzy for the sake of monetization. Showcasing ‘Animal harassment’ must not get incentivized. and accounts who leverage on it for clout must be taught a lesson.” The group stated.
The incident lays under “The Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection acts” on where it penalized a person or people who participate in “maltreating and/or inflicting injuries” towards the wildlife.
Activities such as burning, logging, mining, and quarrying in the areas that the government declares as a critical habitat is also included under the act.
About Tarsiers
Listed as one of DENR’s threatened species, Tarsiers are considered as one of the species to be in threat of illegal capture and trade.
Tarsiers are also sensitive when it comes to bright lights, loud noises, and physical contacts.
