Taoyuan to investigate video of teacher wiping chalkboard with ferret

Taipei, April 6 (CNA) The Taoyuan City government said it plans to send animal welfare officials to a junior college after a video on social media appeared to show one of its teachers using a live ferret to clean a chalkboard.

In an Instagram Reel posted on Friday, a student at Taoyuan's Hsin Sheng Junior College of Medical Care and Management posted a one-second video clip of what appeared to be a teacher using a squirming white ferret to wipe chalk off a chalkboard.

The clip, captioned "freshman life on campus," was posted to a public IG account operated by the school, but later deleted following allegations of animal abuse.

In a statement, the school said that while it has yet to speak with the part-time teacher seen in the video, it was "unlikely" the ferret was being mistreated, since its owner and many other students were in the room.

School administrators will nevertheless look into the issue, and also remind students and teachers that pets cannot be brought to class and should be treated with care, the school said.

Meanwhile, Taoyuan Animal Welfare Office Commissioner Wang Te-chi (王得吉) said the office plans to send officials to the school to speak with the teacher and inquire after the ferret's well-being on Monday.

Wang noted that under Taiwan's Animal Protection Act, a pet owner has a legal responsibility to protect their pet from harassment, abuse and injury.

If an animal is illegally harmed resulting in its death, the person responsible can face up to two years in prison and a fine ranging from NT$200,000 (US$6,023) to NT$2 million, Wang said.

Asked to confirm details about the video, Wang told reporters that according to the school, the ferret's owner brought the animal to class and had let the teacher, a part-time math instructor, hold it.

The video was later posted to the IG account for the school's nursing program, he said.

According to the school, the ferret's owner recorded the video, and although the teacher appears to have acted improperly, it could just be an issue of the angle at which the recording was taken, Wang said.