Bearded pigs, turtles in Born to be Wild

MANILA, Philippines - The veterinarians are back with more adventures today after AHA! on GMA 7’s Born to be Wild.

Doc Nielsen Donato finds himself in a rescue situation in San Vicente, Palawan. He sees an endemic Palawan bearded pig in a snare, about to be killed by a resident. According to locals, they consider the Palawan bearded pig is a threat to their crops, which the pigs feed on. They set up traps in the wild to capture the bearded pigs. Doc Nielsen convinces the resident to turn over the endemic animal for release, and discovers more about the Palawan bearded pig when he sees juveniles of this species in the community.

In Pampanga, an invasive species of turtle has turned from a nuisance to a source of livelihood. The soft-shelled turtles which originated from China have invaded several ponds in Pampanga. Two years ago, when Born to be Wild first covered the area, local residents were clueless about what to do with the soft-shelled turtles which destroyed their fish nets and ate the fingerlings in their pond. But today, the soft-shelled turtle is at the center of an income-generating industry.