Two elderly residents of Barangay Inagawan turned over an adult male pangolin to the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff on Thursday, April 18.
64-year-old Bonifacio Marsical saw the pangolin being chased by dogs near his house on Wednesday night and sought assistance from his friend Rustico Aperocho, 71, to catch the pangolin for safekeeping. The two then brought the wild animal to Police Station 3 in Brgy. Luzviminda, where police officers assisted them in turning it over to PCSDS.
Marsical said it was the first time for him to see a pangolin, locally known as balintong, saying he was overwhelmed by the experience.
“Maraming kuwento kuwento, pero iba pala ang pakiramdam ‘pag nakakita ka sa personal. Sabi ko nga, kawawa naman at hinahabol ng mga aso. Kaya naisip ko kagabi, dadalhin agad namin sa pulis kasi sila ang nakakaalam kaninong ahensiy dapat ihatid ito,” Marsical narrated.
PCSDS said Palawan Pangolin holds critical ecological significance as an endemic species to Palawan and is designated as Critically Endangered under PCSD Resolution No. 15-521.
