ViralPressA YouTube account has come under considerable scrutiny for its ‘barbaric’ footage of skinned and cooked exotic animals.
Unbeknownst to the vlogger couple, some of the animals they were throwing on the barbie were actually endangered species.
Ah Lin Tuch and husband Phoun Raty, based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, film themselves catching animals that are largely rare in the western world.
In the videos, Lin can be seen eating numerous endangered species of birds, some frogs, a protected fishing cat, a gigantic lizard, king cobra, a few stingrays and even a shark.
Rather than simply show them off, however, the pair cook them.
ViralPressThe pair were eventually reported to authorities thanks to the campaigning of critics.
Metro reports the head of the Environment Ministry’s General Directorate for Administration of Nature Conservation and Protection, Chea Sam Arng, commented on the incident, saying:
We are now in the process of taking legal action against them while the working group is preparing a report on the matter.
The animals that were cooked were mostly not on the endangered list, but are protected. Only one species was in danger of extinction.
Ah Lin said:
I don’t even know what kind of animals or birds we used or their impact on wildlife conservation.
I bought the wildlife at Preak Phnov and we started filming our videos since December. Now I have already admitted my mistake.
ViralPressEnvironment officials are now investigating whether the animals were killed in their wild or sold at illegal stalls.
Ah Lin’s husband, Phoun, said they intended to earn a living from their social media channel which had been bagging them $500 for Google-sponsored advertising.
Speaking of social media, users were split down the middle on the touchy subject, with one writing:
Believe me I’m not defending her at all and I’m far from some sort of vegan social justice type but how many of you in the comments being outraged and saying she should be boiled etc eat chicken, turkey, beef, pork, fish? Hmm, might not be protected species but you’re still eating animals aren’t you, I see little difference.
Viral PressAnother defended:
Nothing wrong with this. Food is food. It’s not like they can go to McDonalds and order a double cheese burger or KFC and get a bucket of fried chicken. Or that there’s a large commercial meat farm. Sometimes you gotta go to the market, get the animal, skin it, and cook it before it goes bad.
A third levelled:
Sadly in a third world country, locals in rural areas hunt animals to survive without knowing if the animal is facing extinction and yes you can say they have no knowledge like first world educated people.
This couple just bought those dead animal along the country side in their own ignorance and they have been dealt by the government. I don’t know which one more is sadistic, people in a first world country hunting deers for pleasure or those in third world countries hunting food for survival.
Let’s just hope these critters are faring a lot better on their own terms.
If you have a story you want to tell send it to UNILAD via [email protected]
