Endangered animals seized

OLONGAPO CITY—At least 100 exotic and endangered animals were seized by personnel of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Friday in a house in Barangay (village) New Kalalake here.

DENR officials said the agency’s personnel, who carried a search warrant issued by Judge Raymond Viray of the Regional Trial Court here, found a  white-bellied  sea eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster), geckos, tarantulas and scorpions in the house of D’ar Corpuz.

The DENR personnel, led by Samuel Carpio, seized close to P1 million worth of animals that were being sold online.

Corpuz, a call center agent, was not in the house when the DENR team arrived at 11 a.m.

Dr. Steven Toledo, biologist at the Biodiversity Management Bureau of the DENR, said Corpuz violated the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.

“The owner didn’t have a permit to possess these animals and we have received information that these are being sold online,” Toledo told the Inquirer on Saturday.

Some of the animals are endemic to South America, while others are endangered, he said.

“We don’t have tarantulas and geckos [similar to the species seized] here so this means these are being smuggled from other countries,” he said. Allan Macatuno, Inquirer Central Luzon