Miley Cyrus angered a lot of conservationists with her latest Instagram posts.
On Tuesday (April 2), the singer drew a ton of negative comments after snapping photos of her lounging on a Joshua Tree. Fans weren't impressed when Cyrus, who has been venturing near the windmills in Palm Springs for her recent posts, used the protected, near-endangered yucca tree as a prop in her latest photo shoot.
"Looking down at all the petty drama like...." the "Malibu" singer said in the first of two posts, which shows her sitting atop the tree. Hours later, Cyrus returned with another photo from the same view, writing, "Monkey Bizzzzznassssss."
In no time at all, the Joshua Tree community flooded the artist's comments section. Some warned climbing the fragile tree causes real damage and criticized the star's social media influence would inspire others to act in ways that would harm the species.
"Do not climb Joshua trees. It is incredibly damaging to them. As a public figure it is your responsibility to set a good example to your followers so we can preserve these trees for generations to come," one Instagram user wrote.
Another fan added: "Hi love, Mom here to ruin the party but these babies are fragile and disappearing naturally so please try not to mount them, just hug em. Thanks, Queeeeeeen!"
In a statement to the Desert Sun, Mojave Desert Land Trust Executive Director Geary Hund said the yucca's shallow root system renders its branches incapable of bearing the extra weight.
"We ask that Miley Cyrus consider her status as a public figure and remove this photo from her social media accounts in order to educate others and to prevent potential damage to Joshua trees," Hund said in a statement.
As of late, Cyrus has yet to comment or take down the images.
Photo: Getty Images