OBANDO, Bulacan — An osprey (lawin), a kind of raptor bird, was rescued by a fishpond caretaker in this town and was turned over to the municipal government for proper disposition.
Obando Mayor Edwin Santos on Thursday identified the caretaker as Edison Garcia, who is in charge of a fishpond in Barangay Panghulo, this town.
Santos said Garcia brought the bird to the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
The mayor said he then coordinated with the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office based in Guiguinto town where osprey was turned over Wednesday afternoon.
Records from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Regional Office 3 showed that since 2016, there are already 20 voluntary turnover of assorted raptors and other wildlife species, owing to the intensified information and education campaign in the region.
These species include serpent eagle, reticulated phyton, Philippine long-tailed macaque, crested myna, monitor lizard, grass owl, crested hawk, brahminy kite, fish sea eagle and java sparrow made pets by animal lovers.
The DENR has retrieved and confiscated a total of 119 assorted birds, reptiles and mammals, which were transported directly to the DENR-Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) Rescue Center in Quezon City and other accredited wildlife centers in the region.
Republic Act 9147, otherwise known as the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, sets a maximum of 12 years imprisonment or fine of up to PHP1 million for anyone who collects, hunts, gather and trade wildlife species even destroying of active nests, host plants and the like. (Manny Balbin/PNA)
