Wildlife owners told: Get permit

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has urged wildlife keepers and owners to secure necessary permits as required by law to avoid being penalized once found to be illegally keeping protected animal species especially for exhibition and educational purposes.

A wildlife farm permit is issued by DENR to a wildlife keeper giving him the right to develop, operate and maintain a wildlife breeding farm for conservation, trade or scientific purposes.

WFP is a five-year permit issued to qualified individuals or corporations.

This comes in two classifications: one can apply for a small-scale farm with a capitalization amounting to P1.5 million and below; and for a large-scale farm with a capital outlay of above P1.5 million.

Under Republic Act No. 9147 otherwise known as Conservation and Protection of Wildlife Resources and their Habitats, mere possession of endangered wildlife species is an automatic felony punishable by a jail term of up to two years and a fine of not more than P20,000.

Involvement in illegal trade of endangered species carries a penalty of two years imprisonment and a fine of P200,000.

Illegal acts as provided under section 27 of R.A. 9147 include killing and destroying wildlife species, inflicting injury which cripples or impairs the reproductive system of wildlife species, introduction, reintroduction or restocking of wildlife resources, trading of wildlife, collecting, hunting or possessing wildlife, their by-products and derivatives, gathering or destroying of active nests, nest trees, host plants and the like, maltreating and/or inflicting other injuries, and transporting of wildlife. — Jessa J. Agua/FPL (FREEMAN)