The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) lauded the joint operation between its task force on illegal wildlife trade and the National Bureau of Investigation’s Environmental Crime Division for nabbing four suspects for attempting to smuggle over 300 wildlife species.

In a statement released on Thursday, March 15, Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu ordered to file criminal charges against the four suspects for violating the Republic Act No. 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.

“This serves both as an accomplishment and warning to those who are thinking in doing such [illegal] actions as far as these wild animals are concerned,” he added.

In an operation conducted last Tuesday, the suspects were found harboring 110 sugar gliders, 26 Moluccan cockatoos, and seven red birds of paradise.

Biodiversity Management Bureau Director Theresa Mundita Lim said that the confiscated wildlife will be screened for two months to make sure that these animals are not infected with any disease.

In the meantime, Ms. Lim said that the bureau will also be determine the origin of the wildlife.

“If it is still possible to repatriate them, we will so that they could go back to their natural habitat. But if it is no longer possible, we will see if we can take care of them in the long term and use them for educational purposes,” she added.

Ms. Lim however said that that given that these animals are not endemic to the country, the wildlife cannot be released. — Anna Gabriela A. Mogato

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