DENR to release rescued near-endangered Philippine Cobra in Quezon
2024-Aug-23 12:00
LONGING FOR HOME. The near-endangered Philippine Cobra rescued in Barangay Pinagbayanan, Macalelon, Quezon and turned over to the Regional Wildlife Rescue Center of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-Calabarzon in Calauan, Laguna on July 19, 2024. The snake is awaiting release to its natural habitat. (DENR-Calabarzon)
CALAMBA CITY, Laguna – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Calabarzon is preparing to release a rescued near-endangered Philippine Cobra back into the wild.
The venomous snake was found hiding in driftwood in Barangay Pinagbayanan, Macalelon, Quezon, and was brought to the Regional Wildlife Rescue Center in Calauan, Laguna last month.
In a phone interview on Thursday, Donna Tuiza, a wildlife biologist at the rescue center, said the snake, measuring about 1.2 meters and weighing 1.5 kilograms, is in stable condition and will be released once the agency's disposition committee approves it and a suitable habitat is identified.
Tuiza said the Philippine Cobra's natural habitat includes low-lying plains, forests, open fields, grasslands, and areas near water sources like ponds and rivers. Habitat destruction forces these reptiles to seek food elsewhere, disrupting ecological balance.
Tuiza urged the public "to report sightings of forest animals to the nearest environment office and to avoid harming them", expressing the phrase, "Buhay Ilang, Hindi Dapat Pakialaman" (Life in the wilderness should not be disrupted)."
The Philippine Cobra is listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix II and classified as Other Threatened Species under DENR Administrative Order No. 2019-09.
It is protected under the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act (Republic Act No. 9147), which criminalizes its killing, trade, and consumption, with penalties of up to two years imprisonment and fines ranging from P20,000 to P200,000. (PNA)