A married couple in Cambodia are in legal hot water after they posted popular YouTube videos of themselves skinning, cooking and eating wild animals — some that were protected species.
Business Insider reports that Ah Lin Tuch and her husband Phoun Raty have apologized for the videos on their YouTube channel “Natural Life TV” that depict Ah Lin preparing animals that are considered protected.
According to Metro, the couple has removed videos depicting the preparation of protected species and one, a fishing cat, the is reportedly in danger of extinction. Ah Lin and Phoun reportedly said they obtained the protected animals from a local market and did not kill the animals themselves.
“I bought the wildlife at Preak Phnov and we started filming our videos since December,” Ah Lin reportedly said. “Now I have already admitted my mistake”.
Videos, some with well over a million views, showing Ah Lin catching and preparing a frog and eating a cobra, stingray, and a shark remain monetized on their YouTube channel.
WARNING: The below video contains graphic images of a snake being butchered:
Phoun told Metro that the couple has earned $500 from the YouTube videos so far.
It is unclear what type of penalties the couple is expected to face.
“We are now in the process of taking legal action against them while the working group is preparing a report on the matter,” Chea Sam Arng, head of the Environment Ministry’s General Directorate for Administration of Nature Conservation and Protection, told Metro.