Private zoo in Negros Oriental town seeks help

DUMAGUETE CITY — Caretakers of a private zoo in Amlan town, Negros Oriental are seeking for help after 45 of its 46 investors withdrew financial support from the wildlife park.

Annabella Riso, head caretaker of the 10-hectare Dreamland Nature and Adventure Park, said only DNAP President Wilfredo Chiu stayed put after the other investors left when COVID-19 pandemic struck in March 2020.

But the financial support was not consistent, delaying the salary of Riso and her family, who stayed to attend to the 150 animals inside the park, she added.

Riso didn’t have a breakdown but the park had tigers, camels, dogs, birds, peacock, Philippine eagle, horses, snakes, crocodiles, and wild boar, among others.

Riso, 51, said they depended on donations to continue the zoo operations.

“It’s not easy to maintain the zoo, especially that some animals like tigers need meat to survive. When we run out of food, we approach the remaining investor. While he gives us money, it’s really not enough to have the budget we need to sustain the needs of these animals,” she told the Inquirer in a recent interview.

Aside from meat, animals also need pellets, fodder grass, vitamins, and animal feeds.

Riso, a native of Cebu City, transferred to Amlan about eight years ago, to work as a caretaker of the zoo.

She said her family only depends on donations to buy their basic necessities.

“Even if we do not earn much money working in the zoo, we still continue serving and taking care of the animals since they treated them as part of their family,” she said.

Riso had to stay 24 hours in the zoo since it was not fully fenced. One time, she added, an unidentified man killed one camel and a Philippine eagle inside the zoo.

Normally, she said the animals eat twice a day. Due to the scarcity of funds, there were times when they only fed them once.

Riso said they needed over P3,000 a day to sustain the needs of the animals.

While she did not have enough background in taking care of animals, Riso said she loved them very much.

“At first, I really didn’t have the idea on how to care for animals. There were even times when I cried and asked for guidance from God on how to do my work. Now, I love these animals,” she said.

Last Feb. 28, Chiu talked to then Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo on how to improve the zoo operations.

The province’s information office said Degamo immediately directed the Provincial Veterinarian’s Office (PVO) and the Environment and Natural Resources Division to provide the zoo’s necessities and to take care of the animals’ health.

Degamo, who would have turned 57 this month, was killed on March 4 after being repeatedly shot by one of several men in Army uniforms and bulletproof vests who casually went inside his residential compound in Pamplona town, Negros Oriental while he was attending to the needs of his constituents. Eight others were killed in the attack and 17 others were wounded.

Riso said the PVO sent representatives and veterinarians to inspect the animals and list down the needed supplements and vitamins.

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