Subic protects its merry menagerie

MANILA, Philippines - Despite some controversy involving the welfare and safety of animals in captivity, activists and visitors alike will be pleased to know that Subic is taking steps to protect the many animals residing in the vicinity.

The Wildlife in Need (WIN) Rescue Center rehabilitates sick, injured and confiscated wildlife in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone as well as nearby provinces of Bataan, Zambales, Pampanga and Bulacan. Established in 2003, the center is certified by the Bureau of Animal Industries and is an official wildlife rescue center of DENR Region III.

Among the animals rescued here are long-tailed macaques, civet cats and bats; various birds; reptiles such as snakes and lizards. To date, some 700 animals have been rescued or turned over to the center.

Seeing an influx of long-tailed macaques being brought to the center, WIN initiated a reintroduction project in 2010 which involved surveying the 10,000-hectare Subic Bay Forest Zone to identify suitable release sites for the macaques. So far, four successful reintroductions have been made out of 27 macaques at the center, with more planned in the near future.

WIN has also teamed up with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to develop the Philippine Marine Mammal Stranding Network. Together with Ocean Adventure, WIN helps rescue sea creatures who are stranded or in need of care.

At Ocean Adventure are the shark and turtle feeding areas. While the dolphin shows and interactions are entertaining and educational, being able to care for some rehabilitated animals is an up-close, hands-on learning experience.

As the instructor teaches us to clip the fish or pieces of squid in the stick-like feeding apparatus, we learn more about the sharks, fish and turtles that we are feeding.

The sharks, though they are quite small, are understandably the scariest and most exciting to feed, but we learn from our instructor that they are actually peaceful creatures who will only attack if provoked. In fact, they would naturally shy away from humans and we can co-exist peacefully. Unfortunately, poachers value sharks for their fins, which is a delicacy in many Asian countries. We still can’t help but pull back, though, when we feel the strength of sharks as they tug the fish from our feeding sticks.

At the turtle area, as the beautiful pawikan named Basha playfully snaps up her favorite imported squid, we learn about the importance of caring for the environment as the turtles in Ocean Adventure’s care were rescued from human-caused dangers to the environment like trash thrown into the sea, or cases of animal cruelty, like keeping the turtles as domestic pets. As the only sea turtle rehabilitation facility in the country, they have so far been able to handle 41 rescued sea turtles and have protected many more nests, seeing the return of thousands of hatchlings to the sea each year.

Doing its part in caring for the environment, the Lighthouse Marina Resort Legacy Foundation, together with other collaborators, has hosted the International Coastal Cleanup-Zambales, an event that is celebrated every third Saturday of September across the globe. They also spearhead the Subic Environment Symposium to raise awareness for environmental conservation.

Meanwhile, WIN also has a Companion Animal program, nursing homeless dogs and cats back to health and finding permanent homes for them. They are likewise involved in insuring the welfare and care of horses at the El Kabayo Stables.

With support from international groups, WIN has been able to train over 2,500 BFAR staff and many others in marine mammal rescue. They have also trained over 60 veterinarians and medical personnel to care for these animals in workshops held throughout the year in different sites all over the country. The organization is a co-convenor of the recently-formed Southeast Asian Marine Mammal Stranding Network.

I deally, the rehabilitated animals are reintroduced into their natural habitat, but many are too weak or even too traumatized to be released to the wild, so they make their home at the WIN center. Animals that stay at the center and at Ocean Adventure help in educating visitors and raising awareness for animal welfare.

We met one such permanent resident at the WIN center with a heartbreaking story – an eagle that could no longer be released into the wild because it cannot fly. Our guide explained to us that eagles have the ability to set their eyes and mind on a target, even from afar, and once they are locked in on it, internal GPS enables them to fly straight to it. The eagle at the WIN center had lost its ability to do this, so it would only flap around aimlessly, with no target and no purpose. Stories like this touch the heart and make the urgent message of caring for the environment and for animals more real for the visitors. The eagle that had lost its way now has a new life purpose as the WIN center as its supporters stay on target to protect the rich biodiversity in Subic’s land, air and sea.

For more information, call the WIN Rescue Center at (047) 252-8494 or Ocean Adventure at (047) 252-9000 or www.oceanadventure.com.ph. This trip was made possible by the Manila North Tollways Corporation and the North Philippines Visitors’ Bureau.