PAWS to DENR: Enforce tighter measures on those keeping wildlife as pets

MANILA, Philippines — Days after two ostriches ran loose in a Quezon City subdivision, the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) is urging the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to enforce tighter measures in granting permits to keep wildlife as pets.

PAWS, in a statement on Wednesday, also asked the DENR to revoke the permits of those “unfit” to care for wild animals.

“PAWS calls on the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to revoke the wildlife permits of those who are clearly unfit to care for wild animals and to enforce stricter screening measures in granting permits,” the animal welfare group said.

The recent incident involving the ostriches, PAWS added, showed “how loosely permits are handed out to people who keep wild animals as pets in our country.”

“Loud sounds and being near roads or running vehicles cause ostriches great stress,” the group said. “For this reason alone, permits should not be granted for the keeping of these animals in residential areas.”

The two “quarantine violators”, who were spotted running loose inside Mapayapa Village III in Diliman, Quezon City on Tuesday, became a spectacle on social media. They were eventually caught by a security guard and several construction workers in the area.

“The ostriches in the video were confused and terrified,” PAWS said of the birds’ conditions. “The birds could have easily been injured or could have caused harm when they were cornered.”

PAWS also slammed the owner of the ostriches, saying: “The fact that the ostriches were running around for as long as they did with no caretaker chasing after them demonstrates that the owner is not capable of effectively controlling the animals or monitoring them.”

“PAWS condemns the keeping of wildlife as pets as it is unethical to allow people to keep them at the cost of these animals’ misery. Further, a wild animal’s needs can never be sufficiently met by its keepers.”

The animal welfare group also urged the DENR to clamp down on wildlife collectors, as well as to strictly implement the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.

PAWS said the DENR should clamp down on wildlife collectors and strictly implement the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, especially during this time of a pandemic “when Mother Nature has firmly demonstrated that virulent zoonotic diseases arise out of man’s exploitation of wild animals.” / MUF