The dolphin that was rescued and released back to the ocean on Thursday evening, March 11, 2021, was found dead with more injuries this morning, March 12 in Barangay Mactan, Lapu-Lapu City. | Photo courtesy of Lapu-Lapu City PIO
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines – A dolphin was found dead in the shoreline near the Liberty Shrine in Barangay Mactan, Lapu-Lapu City this morning, March 12, 2021.
Alex Baring, the special assistant to the mayor on Environmental Concerns, said that the dolphin was first rescued by residents in the said place after it was trapped inside a fish cage locally known as “bungsod” yesterday afternoon.
He said that the residents rescued the dolphin at around 3 p.m. yesterday, but it was only reported to them at around 6 p.m. or three hours later.
“Una tong napalgan didto sa may panagatan nga dunay bungsod, nasangit kuno didto. Nadala diha sa daplin kay nangayo ug pakitabang ang mga nakakita para ma-rescue,” Baring said.
Baring said that when his personnel responded, they saw a little wound in the dolphin’s stomach that was about to heal already.
Baring also said that they immediately coordinated with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)-7, but the agency reportedly didn’t have any facility in Cebu that could treat the dolphin before it will be released back to the ocean.
The agency only has a hatchery, but it is located at Medellin town in the northern part of Cebu.
Despite this, Baring said that they successfully returned the dolphin to the ocean last night.
He said that when they saw the dolphin this morning, it was already dead, with more wounds on its body that it might have acquired when it was washed to the shoreline.
Baring also clarified that this is not the same dolphin that was rescued in Mandaue City.
“Dili tingali kay sa akong pakisayod, nahisgutan mana namo karong buntag didto, ang kadtong sa Mandaue, matod pa mas gamay kuno to didto,” he added.
He revealed that the dolphin that was rescued in Mandaue City was only 4 to 5 feet long, while the dolphin that died in Lapu-Lapu City this morning is more than 8 feet long.
Due to this, Baring urged Oponganons to immediately report to their office if they found wild animals that were hurt or injured so that they can immediately deploy their personnel to rescue them. /rcg