P. Šiaučiūnas is back in the spotlight: environmental inspectors seize the dart he kept

Recently in the spotlight for using part of his donations to pay off his debts, Petras Šiaučiūnas, the country's most popular farmer on Youtube, received a visit from inspectors from the Environmental Protection Department (EPD). An illegally kept ostrich was confiscated from Mr Šiaučiūnas.

„We are hostages of an interesting system. For three years we have raised a hatched and donated ostrich. I did not hide it, I showed it in public. All the inspectorates knew we had it, but... Only when an anonymous person reported that Petras was raising the ostrich, did they get upset," Šiaučiūnas describes the incident on Facebook.

The main allegations made by the AAD are that Mr Šiaučiūnas did not have the documents for the purchase of the ostrich and did not have a permit to keep the wild animal. Following the confiscation of the bird, the farmer is also facing a fine of between €30 and €300 for natural persons.

This is not the first time that Šiaučiūnas has received attention from the authorities because of animals. In 2023, after he himself published a video of a sheep being herded by a dog in an enclosure, the State Food and Veterinary Service fined the farmer €15, which rose to €75 if not paid on time.

„Agrobite“ recalls that in mid-February this year, the roof of a barn housing sheep could not withstand a heavy load. The farmer received many donations from people, but Šiaučiūnas was criticised by some of the public for using some of the money to pay off debts.

During this time, the number of subscribers to Šiaučiūnas' „Youtube“ network dropped by around 400. The farmer has 77.6 thousand subscribers on „Youtube“.