A Thai blogger faces five years in prison after filming herself eating a whole bat in a bowl of soup.
Phonchanok Srisunaklua uploaded the 1-minute-40-second clip to her YouTube channel Gin Zap Bep Nua Nua (Eat Spicy and Tasty), which shows the dead animals swimming in a mud-colored cherry tomato soup.
She describes the bats as “delicious” and compares them to “eating raw meat,” before tearing the animals apart and dipping them in a spicy sauce called nim jam.
At one point, the footage shows the food content creator holding an entire bat in front of the camera and declaring “it’s got teeth” before starting to grind the bones, saying “the bones are soft.”
The video was soon flooded with complaints from outraged viewers worried about its health effects.
One said: “If you want to die, die alone. No one will blame you. But you’re doomed if you start a pandemic.”
Phonchanok Srisunaklua uploaded the 1 minute 40 second clip to her channel Gin Zap Bep Nua Nua (Eat Spicy and Tasty) showing the dead bats in a mud colored cherry tomato soup.
Another said: “You’re putting yourself at risk. If you get sick, you don’t have to burden doctors and nurses.”
Veterinarian Pattaraphon Manee-on, who heads the wildlife management group at the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, said: “I was shocked to see it now in the clip.
“Because the incident should not happen in Thailand as well as in the rest of the world, it is a very risky behavior, especially because bats carry many pathogens.” There is no evidence that the temperature of the hot water actually kills the germs.
At one point, the footage shows the food content creator holding an entire bat in front of the camera and declaring “it’s got teeth” before starting to grind on the bones, saying, “the bones are soft.”
Now the YouTuber, who is also a teacher, has been arrested for “possession of protected wild animal carcasses” and “offences contrary to the Computer Crimes Act (2007)”. She has since apologized publicly
“Just touching saliva, blood and skin is considered a risk.”
He added: “In addition to bat disease concerns, this woman could be guilty of breaching the Conservation and Protection and Wildlife Act, BE 2019, as bats are protected animals.”
Bats carry more than 10,000 viruses that can be transmitted to humans, causing another pandemic, according to some experts.
Now the YouTuber, who is also a teacher, has been arrested for “possession of protected wild animal carcasses” and “offences contrary to the Computer Crimes Act (2007)”.
The woman initially denied the allegations, but then posted another video in which she apologized to “society, doctors, journalists, colleagues, family and friends.”
She added that she will no longer eat bats.
Source link
