A mother-of-one has been arrested after filming herself cooking and eating protected wild animals in Cambodia.
Ah Lin Tuch and husband Phoun Raty made videos showing the young woman skinning an endangered fishing cat, a large lizard and several protected species of birds to make cash by posting them on YouTube.
Wearing hot pants and crop tops, she grilled them on a camp fire and ate them in the jungle near their home in Phnom Penh.
Ah Lin Tuch and husband Phoun Raty made videos of her skinning an endangered fishing cat (pictured) among other animals
She also ate a large species of heron (pictured being held up by its wings), which is protected under Cambodian law
The couple have removed the clips of Ah Lin eating the protected animals (including the birds pictured above) – but still have footage of her tucking into frogs, a cobra, a shark and a sting ray
The country’s Ministry of Environment launched a manhunt for the couple last Wednesday and the next day they appeared before the public admitting they cooked the animals. Pictured: A king cobra cooked by the couple
The couple claimed that they bought the wildlife ‘from a local market’ then cooked it. Ah Lin’s husband, Phoun, said they had intended to earn a living from YouTube and had already made $500 from adverts
Other clips show her eating a king cobra, a shark, a sting ray and frogs.
But the footage sparked fury from viewers, who hit out at the would-be survivalist when it emerged that many of her victims belonged to protected species.
The country’s Ministry of Environment launched a manhunt for the couple last Wednesday and the next day they appeared before the public admitting they cooked the animals and apologising for ‘destroying our wildlife’.
Chea Sam Arng, head of the Environment Ministry’s General Directorate for Administration of Nature Conservation and Protection, said: ‘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.’
The endangered animal is the fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus), while the lizard, large heron and the other species of bird are protected.
The couple have removed the clips of Ah Lin eating those animals – but still have footage of her tucking into frogs, a cobra, a shark and a sting ray.
The couple claimed that they bought the wildlife ‘from a local market’ then cooked it.
Environment officials are now investigating whether the animals were killed in the wild or bought from illegal stalls in the run-up to the prosecution.
Ah Lin said: ‘I don’t even know what kind of animals or birds we used or their impact on wildlife conservation.’ Pictured: A stingray being held up by the young mother
Wearing hot pants and crop tops, she grilled them on a camp fire fire and ate them in the jungle near their home in Phnom Penh
Chea Sam Arng said the government was now investigating the couple and the sources of the wildlife they were seen cooking. Pictured: The couple sat together after their arrest
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.’
Ah Lin’s husband, Phoun, said they had intended to make a living from their YouTube channel, which had so far earned them $500 for Google sponsored adverts being shown on the clips.
Chea Sam Arng said the government was now investigating the couple and the sources of the wildlife they were seen cooking.