Broadcaster Mike Enriquez could face criminal charges and a P1 million fine for allegedly harming an endangered species after he accidentally inhaled a live tarsier during a sting operation against illegal smugglers in Bohol province.
The incident occurred on Friday evening when Enriquez, accompanied by a TV crew from his investigative show “Imbestigador,” joined an operation of law enforcers from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in a raid of a warehouse in the town of Sagbayan.
Based on reports reaching Good Times Manila, the operatives intercepted a shipment of more than 30 tarsiers from the warehouse where they were being kept in a small cage to be transported to sellers of exotic pets. Endemic to the Philippines, the tarsier, the size of a closed human fist, is one of the smallest primates in the world.
Enriquez, who was advised not to go near the animals, reportedly insisted on getting closer so his cameramen could film them.
But as the tarsiers were being carefully moved, the broadcast journalist crept closer and closer until he was just inches from the little creatures, according to reports.
To everyone’s shock, Enriquez, who was breathing heavily in excitement, suddenly inhaled one of the tarsiers, a pregnant female, which got sucked into his right nostril as though by a vacuum cleaner.
Paramedics and rescue teams on standby tried in vain to extricate the animal, but they could not locate it in the cavernous hole. Doctors in a nearby hospital also said they did not have the right instruments to deal with the emergency.
Fearing that the tarsier is already dead, environment groups are demanding an apology from Enriquez on top of criminal charges and fines. Enriquez has apologized for what happened and said he is open to an investigation.
UPDATE: As this story was being posted, GTM learned that the tarsier is alive and well, and that the charges against Enriquez have been dropped.
“This morning, I felt her move inside my my nasal cavities. She seems very active and healthy,” Enriquez said by phone from his bed in an undisclosed hospital where he is under observation. He also revealed that the 110-gram tarsier had apparently given birth to a baby inside.
“I can feel the patter of its tiny feet,” Enriquez said. To feed the mother and its baby, he said he catches flies, crickets and grasshappers, and flicks them into his nostrils.
He recalled that while being interviewed by provincial media this morning, a tiny head suddenly peeked out of his right nostril for a brief moment before scurrying back inside. “Everyone reacted like, ‘awww, how cute,’” he said.
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