Marinduque: The recent sightings of the Philippine deer (Rusa marianna) in the province of Marinduque point to a recovering ecosystem and the gains from the sustained efforts of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). During a Bagong Pilipinas interview on Wednesday, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) - Marinduque officer in charge Cesar Odi said there is no concrete study on how many Philippine deer are left in the country. He, however, said that in the case of Marinduque, the deer species had long been considered locally extinct after not being seen for decades.
According to Philippines News Agency, Odi stated, "Una po sa lahat, ito po ay magandang indikasyon na may natitira pang species ng Philippine deer na nag-survive. Pangakawa, ipinapakita po nito na iyong ating ecosystem o iyong ating natitirang kagubatan ay nagri-recover na siya. Pangatlo, ito po iyong bunga ng mahabang panahon na conservation effort po natin (First of all, this is a good indication that there are still surviving species of the Philippine deer. Secondly, this shows that our ecosystem or our remaining forests are recovering. Third, this is the result of our long-term conservation efforts)."
To better understand the population, he said, the DENR is coordinating with experts, including the University of the Philippines Los Ba±os, for a possible scientific study to determine how many deer remain, particularly within the Marinduque Wildlife Sanctuary, a protected area under Republic Act (RA) 11038, or the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System (ENIPAS) Act.
Odi attributed the animals' reappearance to natural forest regeneration, intensified protection measures, and reduced threats to wildlife. He noted that reported sightings near communities may be linked to habitat changes and a sense of safety. "Mapansin ninyo medyo maamo na sila, ibig sabihin po feeling nila secured sila doon sa community na hindi sila threatened, na hindi sila sasaktan (You might notice that they are a bit more docile, which means they feel secure in the community, that they are not threatened, that they will not be harmed)," he said.
Odi urged the public to avoid interacting with the animals and to report sightings to authorities for documentation purposes. "Kung makita ninyo po ito is huwag ninyo pong lapitan, huwag ninyo na rin pong hawakan at huwag ninyo na rin pong pakainin at lalong-lalo na huwag ninyo pong kakainin kasi under sa ating batas, iyong RA 9147, or Wild Life Protection Act, and iyong RA 11038, may kaukulang parusa po ito at may kulong pa po ito (If you see one, please do not approach it, do not touch it, do not feed it, and especially do not eat it because under our laws, specifically RA 9147, or the Wildlife Protection Act, and RA 11038, there are corresponding penalties and imprisonment for this)," he said.
Keeping the deer as pets is also prohibited, he said, noting that they must remain in their natural habitat. Odi highlighted the important roles of communities, local government units, and park rangers in wildlife protection, including monitoring, enforcement, and reporting of illegal activities, such as poaching. "Ang ating kalikasan ay hindi lamang para sa kasalukuyang henerasyon, kung hindi sa mga susunod pang saling-lahi ng mga Pilipino. So, sama-sama nating pong pangalagaan ang ating likas yaman dahil tayo ang kalikasan (Our nature is not only for the current generation but also for the future generations of Filipinos. So, let us all take care of our natural resources because we are nature)," he said.
