THE Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in Ramon Magsaysay, Zamboanga del Sur has released back to its natural habitat 52 Olive Ridley turtle hatchlings, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said Friday, April 5, 2024.
The DENR regional office said the hatchlings were released at the shore of Lower Bayao, Tukuran, Zamboanga del Sur last week.
The DENR said the turtle hatchlings were discovered by an employee of a resort Richard Maganoy, who spotted the newly hatched turtles emerging from the sands.
Maganoy informed his find to a sea watchman, Jessie Wison, who assisted him in relocating the hatchlings to a safer environment.
The DENR said Dionisio Rago, head of CENRO Ramon Magsaysay, sent a team from the Coastal and Resource Management and Biodiversity Conservation Unit (CRMBCU) of his office to Lower Bayao, Tukuran after he was informed that turtle hatchlings were found in the area.
The DENR said the personnel of the CRMBCU led the release of the turtle hatchlings into the coastal waters of Lower Bayao village.
The DENR said the Olive Ridley Turtle is classified as endangered per Administrative Order (DAO) No. 2019-09 of the agency and vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. (SunStar Zamboanga)