Tuesday, April 10, 2007 'Wilds' in the city By Nicolas C. Delfin
WHO would ever thought that at the heart of the bustling City of Bacolod lies a sanctuary that is presently providing security and protection to the 13 endangered species of the wild.
Alongside the Capitol Lagoon, you can discover and hear the sounds of different species of birds and other animals in the Biodiversity Conservation Center (BCC) of the Negros Forest and Ecological Foundation Incorporated (NFEFI).
These includes the Visayan warty pigs, leopard cats, spotted deer, bleeding heart pigeons, visayan spotted leopard, Philippine hawk eagle, eagle owl, bailfin lizard, Philippine duck, wood pigeon, pink bellied imperial pigeon, Luzon bleeding-heart pigeon and Mindanao writhed-hornbill.
Inside the BCC, these endangered species are being specially treated by the NFEFI and teams of volunteers working tirelessly to protect and secure them.
"Special feeding programs patterned after their natural habitat were being observed to provide them proper nutrition and breeding," Dr. Leo Suarez said.
"Although the space may not be enough for their exercise or similar to that of the wild, we make sure that they are properly feed not just to survive but to pro-create and sustain their life species," he added.
Citing one species is "Jojo", a 14-year-old Visayan warty pig who is mainly feed by root crops, fruit trees and other edible leaves, all comrpise its usual meal" Suarez said.
"It is easy to breed them but quite difficult to feed them based on our existing dietary supplies and with the limited spaces they occupy. We have so many
animals in our forest but our knowledge is limited that is why we continue to study their biological habitat and breeding patterns," he added.
The Visayan warty pigs or commonly known as the wild boar is considered one of the most endangered species in the world.
They could be seen in the forest of Negros and Panay Islands. Although some of them could also be seen in the Provinces of Masbate, Guimaras and Cebu. The Visayan warty pigs have had been considered extinct. This was due to hunting and the receding forest habitat for them to dwell. Their survival depends on the undisturbed forest wildlife habitat.
