The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) investigates an incident involving vloggers’ alleged mistreatment of two tarsiers. Ryan Parreño (known as “Farm Boy” on social media) uploaded a 2-minute clip that made rounds on social media, featuring a man laughing and playing with the endangered species, as his companion plucked another tarsier from a tree and asked it to smile.
Waaah! Yung tarsier! Nanahimik yung primate sa kanyang habitat, inistorbo ni kuya! Hindi ba niya alam ang proper way in handling and dealing with these animals?! Naawa ako huhuhu! Naka strike 2 na ang Bohol @DENROfficial @peta
©️ SAF Special Asay Force (fb) pic.twitter.com/4vW4ZGg7Yv
— @pauloinmanila and 99 others (@pauloMDtweets) April 10, 2024
“This is to inform the public that the DENR-12 monitoring and enforcement team received a report on Monday, April 8 about a disturbing video of improper treatment of Philippine Tarsiers posted on social media by a certain vlogger named “Farm Boy” from Polomolok, South Cotabato,” DENR-Soccsksargen mentioned in a statement posted on social media.
“The Department already investigated the matter and found out that the two tarsiers were already released by the vlogger to the wild, yet the agency is still looking for further actions to be taken on the wildlife incident,” it added.
Similarly, the Philippine Tarsier Foundation issued a call to report the video—”condemning the act and asking the public not to patronize the accounts that reposted the video.”
The Philippine Tariser remains one of the country’s most preserved species, abiding by Presidential Proclamation No. 1030 signed by President Fidel V. Ramos in 1997. It strictly prohibits the “hunting, killing, wounding, taking away or possession of the animal” and any form of activities that are “destructive of its habitats.”
