The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) regional office on Wednesday renewed its call to residents in remote communities of Eastern Visayas to actively take part in protecting endangered animals.

The DENR reiterated its call following the rescue of two Philippine Deer locally known as “bugsok” by members of the Mamanwa tribe in the upland Kagbana village in Burauen, Leyte last May.

The two deers were rescued after they fell in a trapping pit used by locals to catch animals for food.

Since the wild animals sustained wounds, village officials kept them first until this week when they were fit for travel to the DENR Regional Wildlife Rescue Center in Palo, Leyte.

The deers were turned over on Tuesday to the rescue center by Michael De Luis, village chief of Lanawan, a neighboring community of Kagbana.

The official said they have been conducting an awareness drive for people to be mindful of the laws that protect wildlife.

“When the Mamanwas came to me, they were briefed about the sanctions for killing and inflicting harm to a deer since they are classified as endangered,” De Luis said in an interview on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Palo Community Environment and Natural Resource Office chief Crisostomo Badeo, Jr., lauded the efforts of the locals in protecting the region’s wildlife species.

“The presence of the Philippine Deer in our forests is an indication that we still have an ecologically balanced ecosystem. This calls for more intensified protection efforts from all of us. If you are in a possession of any wildlife species and if you see any wildlife species in danger, please contact the DENR office nearest you,” Badeo added.

The Philippine Deer is classified endangered under DENR Administrative Order 2019-9.

Possession, killing, and inflicting harm are punishable by Republic act 9147, An Act Providing for Conservation and Protection of Wildlife Resources and their Habitats.

In the region, the thick forests of Samar and Leyte provinces are the deer’s natural habitat. (PNA)