A video of a vlogger encountering two tarsiers and attempting to capture them has been circulating on social media.
In a now-deleted video originally posted on his Facebook page, the vlogger known as “Farm Boy,” hailing from Polomolok in South Cotabato, can be seen removing one of the tarsiers from the bamboo it was clinging to. He pointed a camera at it and asked it to smile along with the other tarsier.
Many people expressed outrage over the video. Tarsiers are well-known to be highly sensitive and easily stressed creatures, contributing to their endangered status.
“The tarsier, an ENDANGERED SPECIES, is protected by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the law. It is illegal to handle them, especially to play with them, as they can easily become stressed and die,” stated animal rescue service Pet Avenue in a social media post.
“Let’s make noise to get the authorities involved regarding this violation by these ignorant vloggers for content. Ignorance of the law excuses no one,” it continued, urging the public to reshare the video to raise awareness.
Listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Conservation Monitoring Center, tarsiers are protected under the Republic Act No. 9147, or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act. This law makes it illegal to kill, destroy, trade, collect, hunt, possess, mistreat, or inflict other injuries on wildlife.
The DENR actively works to rescue tarsiers and other wildlife found by citizens. They encourage people to report any sightings to their hotline.