Muntinlupa retrieves endangered barn owls

As every Harry Potter reader knows, wizards from the J.K. Rowling classic use owls as a means of sending messages to one another. Now, our feathered friends will have a reason to smile as operatives of the Muntinlupa Public Order and Safety Office (POSO) recently retrieved two barn owls that were seemingly purchased without necessary papers.

"I wish to commend our Public Order and Safety Office for this unusual but nonetheless important apprehension," Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi said. "The operation may have netted only two birds, but it’s a score against the illegal trade of birds and wildlife that has severely affected our environment."

POSO officers Rolando Navarro Jr., Rogelio Dais, and Cesar Diang were monitoring traffic flow along the Alabang intersection when they chanced upon an unidentified passerby carrying the owls in cramped cages.

Upon inquiry, the men learned that the birds had no accompanying papers. The owls were allegedly purchased from Calamaba, Laguna, and were about to be brought to a private collector in Las Piñas.

The man voluntarily surrendered the birds after learning that the illegal possession of wildlife is punishable by law. The POSO men then turned over the find to the Office of the Mayor for proper disposal.

Fresnedi gave the two birds to Manila Mayor Lito Atienza for safekeeping at the Manila Zoological and Botanical Gardens. The barn owls were likewise identified by Dr. Romulo Bernardo, director of the Manila Zoo.

Barn owls are a local species known for controlling local agricultural pests such as field mice. The birds are dwindling in numbers because of uncontrolled hunting and have recently been put on the endangered list.

The illegal capture and trade of exotic birds, a worldwide problem with a strong base in Asia due to the rich diversity of tropical species, has caught the concern of various environmental groups and has been covered by the media. The National Geographic Society recently identified the Philippines as one of several Asian countries involved in the illegal bird trade.