May 17 ------ The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has received reports of increased sightings of wild animals in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) since the region was on lockdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak. The latest of the sightings were two juvenile species of Brahminy kite (Haliastur indus) spotted in Mabini, Batangas. A team from the head office of the DENR’s Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) retrieved the animals last May 10. The raptors were brought to the Wildlife Rescue Center in Quezon City where they will stay until they are ready to be released back into the wild. DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu pointed out that the restraint in human activities resulting from the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) appears to have helped nature and biodiversity rediscover their natural spaces. “According to our wildlife experts, animals feel much more comfortable going around because there are lesser people in the streets and public spaces because of the continuing ECQ,” he said. He asked the public to leave the wild animals alone, “unless they are sick, orphaned, or injured as we have wildlife experts who can take care of them.” Cimatu explained that human interference with wildlife could result in disease or injury, and taking the animal out of the wild limits its chances of surviving. Where an animal is in need of help, the DENR chief said it requires specialized care to recover and return to the wild, that is why it is important to report cases of sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife to the BMB. He cited that possession, transportation, and importation of wild animals are regulated under Republic Act No. 9147 or the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act of 2001. Source: mb.com.ph
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