4 eagles, 2 pythons, turtle set free in Pantabangan forest 

A Philippine serpent eagle (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/LEO UDTOHAN)

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — Four serpent eagles, two pythons and a turtle have been released in the forests of Pantabangan town in Nueva Ecija after five years of care in a rescue center of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Palayan City.

The seven animals were set free from Barangay (village) Malbang on July 13, Alfredo Collado, DENR provincial officer, said in a telephone interview on Thursday (July 20).

Art Salazar, DENR Central Luzon assistant director for technical services, said veterinarians certified the animals to be healthy before their release.

Following DENR’s protocol, Salazar said Collado’s teams conducted an information and education campaign in communities to get the support  of residents in protecting the wildlife. The wildlife animals were periodically brought to the forests to help them adjust to the places.

In place of tracking chips attached to the animals, DENR personnel instead advised residents to report sightings of the animals.

Collado said the animals were returned to the wild due to their important role in the ecosystem. Their survival is threatened mostly by people.

The DENR recently reported setting free 12 Brahminy kites eagles, five monitor lizards and 30 box turtles in the Angat Watershed Forest Reserve in Bulacan.  SFM