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DENR warns vs. illegal wildlife trade online

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Bearded dragon dies in shipment. Contributed photo



CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – A juvenile
bearded dragon (scientific name: Pogona) which was found and reported by a shipping company in the Clark International Airport was seized by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources here and the Bureau of Customs last week.

This developed as the DENR warned the public against the selling of wildlife through social media. The bearded dragon, which got its name because it resembles the mythical beast is equipped with an armor of spiny reptilian scales which include a “beard” of spikes under its chin that puffs up depending on its mood.

The 18 to 22 inches reptile could fetch a minimum of P8,000 in the market.

The DENR said that according to the shipping manifest, the wildlife was sent from an online pet seller based overseas to the consignee who had no import permit on record. It was discovered upon opening of the shipped package that the bearded dragon had died during transport, which was shipped in a lidded plastic bowl without food, water or appropriate padding inside the container.

Transporting and trading of wildlife without the necessary permit and proper documentation are prohibited under Republic Act No. 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act of 2001, according to Paquito Moreno, executive director of DENR in Central Luzon.

“Our citizens should obtain proper permits and not disregard the regulatory processes required in importing wildlife,” Moreno said.

He also added that these laws are in place to protect the said wildlife and ensure its proper and safe transport, as well as to protect our nation’s ecosystem.

Moreno also expressed his gratitude to the BOC-Port of Clark and the Clark International Airport for their vigilance and support against illegal wildlife trade.

 “We have tightened our watch on wildlife trafficking even during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in our airports and seaports in the region, since these are potential gateways for illegal wildlife trade,” he said.

 The DENR has placed Clark and Subic Freeport zones under tight watch as their strategic locations make them irresistible to smugglers attempting to transport wildlife poached from other countries and parts of the Philippines such as Aurora and Palawan.

The DENR has already seized a total of 311 species of reptiles, birds and mammals since 2015 as gleaned from the intensified wildlife protection and conservation.

The illegal wildlife trade in the Philippines is pegged at P50 billion a year (roughly equivalent to $1 billion) by the Asian Development Bank.

This includes the market value of wildlife and its resources, their ecological role and value, damage to habitats incurred during poaching, and loss in potential ecotourism revenues.

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