5 in smuggle of exotic birds, other animals face charge

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines—Maritime police on Monday filed a case of violation of the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act against five city residents who were caught bringing in yellow-crested and palm cockatoos, red-necked wallabies and other exotic animals from Indonesia over the weekend.

Four of the animals had already died while being transported in 16 cages aboard a boat in the Sarangani Bay on Saturday morning.

Chief Insp. Jemefer Gamido, maritime police chief here, identified the suspects as Leonilo Lumokso and his son Leonel, Benson Mawari Karil, Alvin Karil Alihan and Uswaldo Mamasanta, all of Calumpang village, this city.

“We received intelligence information that one seacraft from Indonesia was arriving carrying many exotic animals, so we deployed our troop and succeeded in intercepting the suspects,” Gamido said.

The police seized 98 rainbow lorikeets (Trichoglossus haematodus), dusky lories (Pseudeos fuscata), palm cockatoos (Probosciger aterrimus), yellow cockatoos (Cacatua sulphurea), Pesquet’s Parrots (Psittrichas fulgidus), turtles, Indonesian green snakes, green lizards, iguana, red-necked wallabies (Macropus rufogriseus), long-beaked echidna (Zaglossus), and juvenile and adult gliders.

The animals—some classified as vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered—were turned over to the Bureau of Animal Quarantine for isolation and treatment.

They will be sent to the rescue center of the Biodiversity Management Bureau (formerly Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau) as soon as they are released from quarantine, Ali Hadjinasser, head of the agency here told reporters.

Gamido said buyers of exotic animals were coming in from various parts of the country. Aquiles Z. Zonio, Inquirer Mindanao