Tabunan is new home of wildlife rescue center

CEBU, Philippines - The Wildlife Rescue Center of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-7 will soon find a new home in Sitio Cantipla, Barangay Tabunan, Cebu City, after more than six years in Barangay Camp 7, Minglanilla town, Cebu.

DENR-7 Regional Executive Director Maximo Dichoso said the center serves as a rehabilitation and acclimatization area before the wildlife will be released to the wild or to their natural habitat.

It is also a temporary shelter of confiscated or seized wildlife from illegal traders or sellers.

“The center also provides environmental awareness and encourages a certain relationship between humans and wildlife species,” Dichoso said.

As of last April 15, there are two iguanas, two lizards, one cockatiel and 27 Asian soft-shelled turtles at the center.

“We will not release these wildlife until they get rehabilitated,” he said.

Dichoso explained that the transfer will ensure that these wildlife will get the necessary rehabilitation considering the site is inside a protected area in Central Cebu Protected Landscape.

Meanwhile, four Philippine macaques and two reticulated pythons were adopted and placed in a wildlife farm owned by Annabelle Kim and James Gaite through a wildlife loan agreement.

A wildlife loan agreement is an agreement drawn together between the DENR and foreign scientific research or zoological institutions for the purpose of breeding the loaned threatened, rare and endangered Philippine wildlife species.

Killing, destroying, inflicting injury, trading, collecting, hunting, and possessing of wildlife species is punishable under the wildlife resources conservation and protection act of 2001 or Republic Act No. 9174,” he explained. –(FREEMAN)