Fleeing wildlife from Taal Volcano eruption-affected areas in Batangas has found a haven in nearby Mount Maculot in Cuenca town, an official of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said.
Assistant Secretary Ricardo Calderon, concurrent director of the DENR’s Biodiversity Management Bureau, said reconnaissance conducted by the DENR-BMB discovered that Mount Maculot has become the temporary home to animals from forests affected by the eruption of the Taal Volcano.
“Animals instinctively go away to escape danger. We are hoping that they can find a temporary home in nearby forests,” Calderon said.
Mount Maculot is a popular site for trekkers and nature lovers.
Cuenca is near Labangan Bay in Taal Lake. It is bounded by the towns of Alitagtag, San Jose and Mataas na Kahoy.
“Our drone captured images of monkeys on Mount Maculot. But there are several of them in the area. Two were seen foraging on a bamboo tree,” Calderon said.
“It is likely that the birds and other animals from forest affected by the volcanic eruption have fled there [Maculot] because it was not severely affected,” he said.
The Taal Volcano and the entire Taal Lake forms part of the Taal Volcano Protected Landscape.
It is also identified as a key biodiversity area because it is home to numerous threatened plant and animal species, including those that are unique to the area.
According to Calderon, a preliminary assessment conducted by the DENR in the areas in Batangas revealed around 8,000 hectares were covered with ash.
This include the estimated 2,400-hectare volcano island, which is covered by mostly cogon grass and shrubs with several trees.
“Mostly, the affected forests are in Agoncillo and Talisay,” said Calderon, former director of the DENR’s Forest Management Bureau.
However, he said it is highly possible that most of the wildlife that was able to flee before the eruption has found a haven in the nearest unaffected forests like Mount Maculot.
“We learned that during the eruption, a lot of birds even from the volcano island were seen flying away from the volcano,” he added.
Mount Maculot has a relatively intact and dense forest cover.
“In the next few days, our drone will fly over forests in Talisay [municipality],” he said.
Since the eruption of Taal Volcano on January 12, around 20 million tons to 30 million tons of volcanic deposits, including ash, were spewed out by the volcano, one of the world’s smallest but second-most active volcano in the Philippines, next to Mayon Volcano in Albay province.
The DENR-BMB has dispatched a team to Batangas to rescue distressed wildlife that may have been captured by residents as the animals flee their natural habitats.
So far, the DENR has in its possession a hornbill that was turned over to DENR Undersecretary Benny Antiporda by a member of the Cavite Educators Lions Club. Antiporda is a member of the Lion’s Club.
Meanwhile, it was learned that the DENR-BMB wildlife rescue team is unable to search abandoned structures around Taal Lake, which have since been covered with ash. Besides, a total lockdown is in effect in 15 Batangas towns within the 14-kilometer danger zone.
Part of the team’s mission is to appeal to the public not to harm distressed wildlife but help in their rescue and rehabilitation. Only one team is doing the rounds to save distressed wildlife in Batangas.
“Right now, since our field personnel are also busy helping in the relief operations, our wildlife rescue team are doing their best, searching areas outside the danger zone,” Calderon said.
He added that many domesticated animals, including livestock, were affected by the ash. It is highly possible that wildlife thriving around the lake is affected, he noted.
Image credits: AP/Aaron Favila