Endangered otter found on Palawan roadside returned home in natural habitat
All is well in the animal kingdom.
An endangered female juvenile Asian small-clawed otter, known locally as Dungon, was found lurking by the roadside in Palawan and, after some inter-agency cooperation, was returned to her natural habitat, per the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office of Palawan.
Roel Labadia relayed to MENRO Roxas, Palawan that he was riding his motorcycle on Aug. 20 when he noticed the Dungon by the road. When Labadia pulled over, the Dungon approached him and crouched under his motorcycle. Because of the stray dogs nearby, Labadia feared for the otter's safety and decided to bring her home.
It marked the beginning of the Dungon's way home.
Once home, Labadia and his wife coordinated with Ed Agarap, head of Bantay Dagat/Gubat, a group of volunteers who advocate for the protection of the country's natural resources. Agarap then reported the rescue to MENRO, which immediately sent personnel to pick up the Dungon.
The MENRO representatives then brought the Dungon to the office of the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff to assess her well-being. Determining that she was good and healthy, the Dungon was finally brought back to her natural habitat in Barangay Malcampo, a coastal community in Roxas, Palawan.
These Dungon live across mainland Palawan and like to stay near bodies of water, such as rivers, streams, mangrove swamps, and coastal areas.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the Dungon is listed as a vulnerable species, while the PCSD considers it endangered.
A paper published in The Philippine Scientist has found that the numbers of the Dungon have been steadily dropping because of pollution, hunting, and reclaimed wetlands. Scientists, though, lack a full population count.
"Kaya lubos ang pasasalamat sa mga residenteng patuloy na tumutulong sa pangangalaga ng mga buhay-ilang," MENRO wrote on Facebook.
