CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — Seven wildlife species have returned successfully to their natural habitat after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Nueva Ecija released them into the wild area of Pantabangan watershed, environment officials here announced yesterday.
Alfredo Collado, head of the provincial DENR in Nueva Ecija said four species of serpent eagle (Spilornis holospilus), two species of reticulated python (Python reticulatus) and species of pond turtle have been released in their original home after almost five years of captivity in the DENR regional wildlife rescue center in Palayan City.
“The rescue center has been their temporary shelter. The wildlife had undergone care and rehabilitation after being rescued by our wildlife officers under various circumstances. And now they are released back in their natural home”, he explained.
He said it is important that wildlife species is released back to the wild after their captivity to regain their natural instinct that they can learn to live and hunt on their own.
“The wildlife species were declared fit for release after the diagnosis made by the provincial veterinarian to ensure that they are healthy and free from any form of disease”, he said, saying that the biggest threat to the survival of wildlife is the exploitation of local communities.
He appealed to the public to report to the nearest DENR office any suspicious wildlife trading activity, including illegal hunting.
“Let us be vigilant in the protection of our animals. They played a crucial role in human survival and are important part of the ecosystem”, he said.
Earlier, the DENR has also released 12 bramminy kites (Haliastur indus), five monitor lizards (Varanus salvator) and 30 box turtles (Terrapene carolina) in the 62,300-ha Angat Watershed Forest Reserve in Bulacan.