The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has recorded increased sightings of wild animals in the CALABARZON region as the province was on lockdown to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Included in the latest sightings were juvenile species of Brahminy kite (Haliastur indus) spotted in Mabini, Batangas, according to a report.
Personnels from the head office of the DENR’s Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) retrieved the animals on May 10.
The raptors were to stay in the Wildlife Rescue Center in Quezon City until they are ready to be released back into the wild.
DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu noted that the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) helped nature and biodiversity to rediscover their natural habitat.
“According to our wildlife experts, animals feel much more comfortable going around because there are lesser people in the streets and public spaces because of the continuing ECQ,” he was quoted in a report.
He added that the public should leave the animals alone, unless they are sick, orphaned, or injured.
He explained that human interference may limit the chances of the animal surviving.
Cimatu said it is best to report cases of sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife to the BMB as it requires specialized care to recover.
Possession, transportation, and importation of wild animals are regulated under Republic Act No. 9147 or the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act of 2001, Cimatu concluded.
