3 months ago
21
TUGUEGARAO CITY — Five Asian box turtles were released to the river in Santa Margarita, Baggao, Cagayan, on Feb. 2 in an activity that coincided with the World Wetlands Day, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) said in a belated report on Feb. 4.
The tortoises were surrendered to the Alcala and Solana community environment offices, whose heads then turned over these creatures to the DENR Region 2 Rogelio Baggayan Nature Park and Wildlife Center in this city for proper care and treatment.
Environmentalists say Asian box turtles disperse seeds of the fruits and other forest plants they eat, and the action to free them could maintain balance in the ecosystem and increase germination rate of seeds through their droppings.
The turtles have been listed as one of the threatened species in the updated list of fauna in the country.
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