CENRO MAMBUSAO RESCUES VISAYAN LEOPARD CAT

Fulfilling its mandate of protecting wildlife, the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in Mambusao recently rescued a Visayan leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis rabori), locally kown as “Maral” at Brgy. Burias, Mambusao, Capiz.

The office acted swiftly upon receiving the report of Mr. Lony Salaya of the aforementioned barangay on April 5, 2024, Salaya narrated how the Leopard cat attacked his chickens at the rice field near his house at around 9:00 o’clock in the evening of April 4, leading to its capture.

Leading the rescue efforts were staff from CENRO Mambusao headed by the Monitoring and Enforcement Section (MES) Chief Arlene Cobrado. After a thorough physical assessment, the ‘Maral’ was found to be in good condition and was successfully released back to its natural habitat.

Visayan leopard cats are classified as “Vulnerable” according to the DENR Administrative Order No. 2019-09 or the “Updated National List of Threatened Fauna and their Categories”. They are endemic to the islands of Panay and Negros. CENRO Mambusao emphasize the strict prohibition of poaching, illegal hunting, and possession of wildlife species without proper documentation under Republic Act (RA) 9147, also known as the “Wildlife Resources Protection and Conservation Act.”

“Please do not hesitate to contact the nearest DENR field office so that wildlife species can be rescued accordingly if they happen to be found within your properties. Do not hurt or kill them because it is our collective responsibility to care for our wildlife, especially those which are already threatened and are endemic to our region. I thank CENRO Mambusao for the prompt action and for our concerned citizen in doing the right thing,” said Regional Executive Director Livino B. Duran.

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