Protected birds rescued during bust

CEBU, Philippines - At least 10 birds that have been declared endangered were seized by authorities during a buy-bust operation in San Roque, Talisay City yesterday morning.

Personnel of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Provincial Environment  and Natural Resources Office’s task force arrested two men who were selling two Philippine Hawk Eagles, which were being sold at P6, 000 each; one Serpent Eagle at P2,500; six Cockatoos  at P1, 000 each; and a juvenile Amethyst Brown Dove.

The FREEMAN is withholding the names of the men arrested because of an impending operation in relation to the case.

Capitol’s Security Chief Loy Magdrigal, the leader of the task force, said he was the one who pretended to buy the birds and negotia-ted with the suspects for three days. The suspects were arrested when they failed to present documents required from those in possession of endangered and endemic birds.

Magdrigal said the Provincial Veterinary Office will check the condition of the birds. The animals will be turned over to Crocolandia in Talisay City for temporary care and custodial safekeeping while the case is being heard.

Ariel Rica, DENR ecosystems management specialist, said the Philippine Hawk Eagles, Cockatoo and Serpent Eagles are now considered ‘critical endangered’ species or those close to becoming extinct.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s Red List of Threatened Species classifies threatened species into different categories relative to their risk of extinction – vulnerable, endangered, and critically endangered.

Threatened species are those that are facing threats to their survival and may be at risk of becoming extinct. Endangered species like the Serpent Eagle can be found in Cebu while the Philippine hawk can be found in Negros, Bohol, all parts in Mindanao. The white Cockatoo can be found across the country.

Madrigal said the suspects violated provisions in the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act which bans the collecting, hunting or possessing wildlife, their by-products and derivatives, and transporting of wildlife.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of Wild Fauna and Flora and DENR Administrative Order Number 2004-15 listed Philippine Hawk Eagle (Spizaetus philippensis) as vulnerable, Philippine Serpent Eagle (Spilormis holospilus) as endangered, and Crested Serpent Eagle (Spilomis cheela) as endangered, Umbrella Cockatoo (Cacatua alba) as endangered, and Brown Dove (Zenaida macroura) as Other Wildlife Species (OWS). —/JMO (FREEMAN)