April 19, 2023, 3:10 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
Influencer Pamela Reif just can’t catch a break. After the 26-year-old recently sparked a massive backlash with transphobic comments, another storm is now brewing around her. This time, it’s due to her reckless behavior at a wildlife park in Bali, where she endangered a monkey.
Fitness influencer Pamela Reif is once again facing criticism. The reason is a clip the 26-year-old recorded during her vacation on the Indonesian island of Bali. In it, she advertised her snack bar, but it went terribly wrong. Unexpectedly, a wild animal became part of the footage. The clip was filmed in the Monkey Forest, a nature park where, as the name suggests, many monkeys live.
Also interesting: The strange sex life of giraffes
Pamela Reif Faces Heavy Criticism After Video Clip
The monkeys living there are known for stealing things from tourists. Various travel guides warn about the thieving macaques: “They mostly have one thing in mind: food. And they suspect it in every one of your bags, so be prepared for thorough inspections. The only suitable food for the Javanese monkeys is bananas, which you can buy from the park rangers,” warns the travel portal “Urlaubsguru.de” on its website.
Instead of a banana, Pamela had one of her plastic-wrapped fitness bars, which was–as expected–snatched from her hand by one of the monkeys and then eaten. Many find it particularly problematic that the blonde casually pulled out her phone to film the event instead of stopping the monkey or informing a zookeeper, which would have been in the interest of animal welfare. She used the clip to promote her bar to her over 9 million Instagram followers.
Biologist Says Pamela Reif’s Thoughtless Action Was Dangerous
Dr. Saskia Schneider, a biologist and senior editor at PETBOOK, explains why feeding monkeys with plastic and sweets is not a funny vacation gag but a reckless endangerment of animal welfare: “Feeding monkeys with brought food is problematic because you never know how the animals will react to it. Additionally, a fight could break out among the animals over the ‘rare treat.’ The plastic packaging also poses a danger to the monkeys if they swallow it whole.”
With this thoughtless action, Pamela Reif not only put the monkeys but also herself and other park visitors in unnecessary danger, Dr. Saskia Schneider further explains. “This action is also dangerous for people, as the monkeys, hoping for more treats, may search visitors’ bags and clothing and become aggressive or even physical.”
Influencer Louisa Dellert Criticizes Pamela Reif
Many online are shocked by Pamela Reif’s reckless advertising stunt. One Instagram user writes: “All for the clicks, I’m not surprised. Instead of thinking about the animal’s welfare, she films the animal eating her bar.” Author Louisa Dellert (33) also speaks out, appealing to Pamela’s role model status in a TikTok: “We influencers also carry responsibility, and we should keep that in mind when marketing our products.” Pamela Reif has not yet commented on the criticism. Instead, she informed her fans on Instagram that her bar is now also available in Switzerland.
Influencer Kidnaps Baby Wombat: “It Was a Mistake”
Why Australia Culled Over 700 Koalas
Up to 100 Times a Day! 8 Facts About Lion Mating
Sources
- promipool.de, “Next Shitstorm for Pamela Reif! Louisa Dellert Fires at the Influencer”, (Accessed on 04/19/2023)
- selfies.com, “Pamela Reif Sparks Shitstorm – Harsh Criticism from Louisa Dellert”, (Accessed on 04/19/2023)
- urlaubsguru.de, “Monkey Forest in Ubud – Discover the Sacred Monkey Forest in Bali”, (Accessed on 04/19/2023)