DENR rescues one grass owl

CEBU, Philippines - One tamed grass owl or Tyto longimembris was rescued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7 through the Protected Area Wildlife Coastal Zone and Management Services (PAWCZMS).

This, after a certain Olivar Ardemer and Stephen Ardemer turned over the owl to the DENR-PAWCZMS for safekeeping and custody last September 29.

DENR 7 Regional Executive Director Dr. Isabelo Montejo said that they already placed the owl at their wildlife recovery center in Camp 7, Minglanilla, Cebu where it will stay for the meantime.

“Owls are supposed to be in the wild and the animal is in good shape but we decided to place it in our wildlife recovery center in the meantime so that we can be able to observe before its eventual release to the wild,” said Montejo in a statement.

According to DENR-7 spokesperson Ed Llamedo, grass owl is a medium-sized, ground-dwelling bird around 35 centimeters with a facial disc typical of the Tyto owls. The upperpart of the owl is dark brown in color with buff and yellow-orange and fine silvery spots. They have long legs and normally hide in long grasses.

The grass owl is endemic in the Philippines and is also found in other countries like Australia, Bangladesh, China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Myanmar, Nepal, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Taiwan, and Vietnam, Llamedo added.

Montejo urged the public not to remove the wildlife species from the wild or their natural habitat as it would compromise their health and safety adding that these species have a certain ‘home’ where they can increase their population consequently attaining a balanced ecosystem. — (FREEMAN)