Aired (December 31, 2023): Join Doc Nielsen Donato and Doc Ferds Recio in revisiting the animals treated and rescued on the program. Can you remember their stories? Watch this video.
‘Born to be Wild’ is GMA Network’s groundbreaking environmental and wildlife show hosted by resident veterinarians Doc Nielsen Donato and Doc Ferds Recio. #BornToBeWild
Watch it every Sunday, 9 AM on GMA
Network. Subscribe to youtube.com/gmapublicaffairs for our full episodes.
‘Born to be Wild’ is GMA Network’s groundbreaking environmental and wildlife show hosted by resident veterinarians Doc Nielsen Donato and Doc Ferds Recio. #BornToBeWild
Watch it every Sunday, 9 AM on GMA
Network. Subscribe to youtube.com/gmapublicaffairs for our full episodes.
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FunTranscript
00:00 One of our New Year's resolutions is to help people who are not understanding or who are not able to understand us.
00:08 Aside from our fellowmen, it is also good to include those who we often do not understand, our neighbors, our wildlife.
00:16 [Music]
00:37 If we talk about our fellowmen, we met a couple who have a border in their house for two years and they are not familiar with this animal.
00:48 Good morning. Can you see what kind of animal is that?
00:52 It's that big and black.
00:54 [Dramatic music]
00:56 Do you have permission?
00:58 It's noisy. If it's night, it will be noisy.
01:00 They said it's a cloud rat. It's black, it's that big and has a long tail.
01:06 What are your plans to make that cloud rat?
01:11 If it can leave, I want it to leave.
01:15 Is this the one that will be eaten?
01:17 It will be eaten. That's why it's like that.
01:19 There are spots where it's already being eaten.
01:22 It doesn't have a horn but it has a smell.
01:25 There's a scaffolding there, that's why I climbed up.
01:28 And when I threw a flashlight, I was surprised.
01:33 I saw a cloud rat or the Southern Luzon Giant Cloud Rat.
01:38 There, it's here. It's here.
01:42 It looks like it has claws. It's just being eaten.
01:46 Hey guy, how are you doing?
01:48 Wow. I just saw this. It lives here.
01:54 It's moving space is very narrow so it feels very secure.
02:00 It's getting leaves to make a nest.
02:02 It doesn't seem to be breaking any wood.
02:04 It's just climbing the branches.
02:08 When I went around Sir Chito's property,
02:11 I confirmed that there are traces of the Southern Giant Cloud Rat.
02:17 This is evidence that it climbed up here.
02:21 There's a claw. That's the claw of the cloud rat.
02:24 Sir is right. It's eating grass.
02:28 And there, you see, there are claws of the cloud rat.
02:31 I talked to Sir Chito and his wife
02:35 that if possible, let the cloud rat live in their house.
02:41 If you decide to leave,
02:46 what will happen is we will catch it and bring it to a place where it's not familiar.
02:52 It doesn't know anyone.
02:54 It doesn't know where to find food.
02:57 Unlike here, it's very busy.
02:59 For now, it's just going to stay there.
03:02 Maybe it will leave if it's caught by the cloud rat.
03:07 In Cebu, there's a similar situation that Kuya Pedro went through.
03:12 There's an animal that's being eaten by its prey.
03:16 So we put a trap and a camera trap to catch the suspect.
03:22 This is a bait so we can see it.
03:25 Sir Pedro's chickens went there.
03:30 We brought a camera trap and set up everything.
03:50 And the next day, we immediately put the camera trap back.
03:55 And when we reviewed the footage,
04:18 There's one!
04:20 Look, it's a sea bat.
04:22 It's color is so dark.
04:26 Oh my God!
04:28 It ate it.
04:29 There it is.
04:30 [Laughs]
04:32 Look at it.
04:33 Alright.
04:34 It's so dark.
04:36 Fruits are one of the favorite foods of the cloud rat.
04:45 Most of the time, those crops are close to the communities.
04:50 In fact, in Cavite, a resident was rescued by a banana tree.
04:56 There!
04:57 It's in the tricycle.
04:59 Where did you catch this?
05:01 It's in the middle of the road.
05:03 Huh?
05:04 In the middle?
05:05 It's in the middle. There are a lot of vehicles.
05:07 Is this the first time you've seen this kind of animal?
05:09 Yes.
05:10 What's in your mind?
05:12 It's a fish.
05:13 Fish?
05:14 I'm not sure.
05:15 If I let it go, it might attack the dog.
05:19 As a wildlife vet,
05:21 we need to assess the individual animal
05:26 to see if it's fit for release.
05:28 When we opened the door, it suddenly came out.
05:31 Did you see its teeth?
05:41 This is what you use to feed it.
05:44 It's a tree hole.
05:46 It looks okay because the eyes look very bright and clear.
05:52 There are no wounds.
05:53 Even the nails are clean.
05:55 This is an adult female capable of reproducing.
06:00 Fit for release, Maliksi.
06:02 And it has wild instincts.
06:04 With the DNR, we released it immediately.
06:08 [music]
06:37 But not all the time,
06:39 we respond to the rescue of wildlife.
06:42 We control if the animal will live or die.
06:45 The resident who shot the video
06:48 said he was afraid of the noise coming from the side of the road.
06:51 I heard that a while ago.
06:54 We were on our way.
06:55 From this place, you can hear the crying.
06:59 We heard it at 8 p.m.
07:01 We thought there was a child crying down there.
07:04 With the DNR, I asked to examine the mouse
07:09 that was in the care of Marlon.
07:11 He was able to rescue the mouse
07:14 that was trapped in a bush.
07:16 When Marlon found out that we were planning to kidnap the mouse,
07:20 he didn't hesitate to buy the animal for him.
07:24 According to the locals here,
07:26 it's good to catch it.
07:28 Oh, okay.
07:29 Maybe that's what we'll do. I don't know.
07:31 So I was afraid and worried.
07:33 I was holding on to a bag.
07:35 I wanted to buy it and turn it over to the DNR
07:39 to protect it more.
07:41 Before we arrived,
07:43 the mouse was strong and eating.
07:46 It's not stopping raining.
07:48 Here it is.
07:49 Hey, buddy.
07:51 There are wounds on the face and legs.
07:54 And one of its paws was cut.
07:56 When we went to the mouse,
08:02 it was dead.
08:03 It was moving earlier.
08:08 Sorry.
08:10 It's still soft.
08:13 It's gone.
08:15 Maybe it's been a day or two.
08:17 It's still not a rigor mortis.
08:19 Oh, this is the same mouse.
08:23 It's back.
08:24 Yes, it's back.
08:25 This is back.
08:27 So this one was already a mouse before.
08:29 Probably.
08:31 And then,
08:32 this is the second time it was bitten.
08:34 Maybe it was sick when it was caught.
08:36 And then,
08:37 it was aggravated by its stressful condition here.
08:40 There are times when animals can no longer
08:46 endure the hardships of human hands.
08:49 It was so devastating to see a civet cat in that condition.
08:54 If I have a New Year's resolution month
08:56 to give to the people in the mountains,
08:58 stop putting traps
09:02 because you can't say that
09:04 there are always other animals that will be trapped there.
09:07 Even if it's not your cat that will be caught,
09:09 just like what happened to the mice.
09:11 The other animals that we've treated this year
09:14 were alive,
09:16 but they were killed
09:19 because of human actions.
09:21 Three animals need to be checked up
09:25 to see if they can be included in the release today.
09:29 This is a carnivorous animal.
09:31 It was found here in the forest.
09:33 It was found in the houses,
09:34 from the trees.
09:35 It was probably eaten by a chicken.
09:39 I hope there are no wounds.
09:44 This one looks healthy.
09:48 This is a bigger one.
09:54 [car engine]
09:56 [gunshot]
09:57 It's awake.
10:00 It's awake.
10:02 [gunshot]
10:03 Let's see what will happen
10:07 when we examine it here.
10:10 This one,
10:11 its heart is still a bit bad.
10:15 This is the third animal.
10:21 I thought it was okay.
10:23 But when I examined it,
10:26 and we put it in a box,
10:28 I was surprised because it has a deep wound.
10:31 Because of the strength of the residents
10:34 who rescued the animal in February this year,
10:38 the animal's skin got stuck in a thin wire
10:42 and it was cut.
10:43 It was cut from the small hole
10:47 where the rescuers were hiding.
10:49 That's why it's like that.
10:50 Oh my gosh.
10:52 We have to cut it.
10:53 It's a big wound.
10:55 I thought it was a minor injury.
10:58 But it's deep.
11:00 There are maggots.
11:03 I immediately gave it a shot
11:08 before it got infected.
11:11 Look at this.
11:17 It just missed the heart of less than one inch.
11:20 Look at its heart.
11:22 Oh my God.
11:23 There it is.
11:25 Definitely, this one is not for release.
11:30 The last animal will be left at the rescue center
11:39 for recovery.
11:40 After half a year,
11:47 we found out that it was recovered
11:50 and released back to the wild.
11:52 But after what it's gone through,
11:55 we can't forget what it went through
11:59 in the hands of the people.
12:01 It's high time that we change our attitude
12:04 or our view of the wildlife
12:07 when we see them in the wild.
12:09 Let's just let it be and don't hurt it.
12:11 Let's just intervene
12:13 when we see these wildlife injured.
12:16 We keep reminding people
12:18 because that tolerance towards wildlife is possible.
12:21 We've seen this a few times.
12:23 Like in the case of Mrs. Lerma
12:25 in the Samboanga, Cebugay.
12:27 This house
12:28 was once a bird's nest.
12:34 When you enter,
12:39 you'll see the use of swivelets
12:43 or dance sticks.
12:45 [dramatic music]
12:46 There!
12:52 These are the birds.
12:54 Did you count how many individuals were here?
12:58 My estimate is that when it comes to
13:01 the Indian razais,
13:03 all of them enter.
13:05 I tried to count them,
13:07 but I couldn't.
13:08 -In numbers? -In numbers.
13:10 Every corner of the house and the furniture
13:12 has a dance stick.
13:15 They made a nest
13:18 in their house
13:20 so that the dance sticks can fit inside.
13:24 They really adjusted
13:26 so that they can accommodate the birds.
13:29 When did the swivelets first appear here?
13:32 In 2019.
13:34 It was around the middle of the month.
13:36 It was just a few days old.
13:38 They were already laying eggs.
13:39 Then they gave birth.
13:40 Their chicks died.
13:42 At first,
13:44 Nanny Lerman didn't want the dance sticks here.
13:48 But in their place,
13:50 there's a belief that these swivelets
13:54 bring good luck.
13:56 When the swivelets are not here,
13:58 they become rich.
13:59 They just want to be fed.
14:01 They want to be fed,
14:03 but they don't.
14:04 They just come back and forth.
14:08 Nanny Lerman's two previous visitors
14:10 brought other people along.
14:13 Now, this is like a community of dance sticks.
14:16 We observed the dance sticks for a couple of days.
14:20 We stopped by and watched them.
14:22 Their behavior was like they were in the wild.
14:26 Their behavior, like waiting for food,
14:28 laying eggs,
14:30 feeding them,
14:32 and some of them were sleeping.
14:35 It just goes to show that they are comfortable here.
14:38 Nanny Lerman's house is a real home.
14:40 She has learned how to respect the lives of these animals.
14:44 But there are times when they don't bring wildlife
14:48 to the community to be an attraction for people.
14:51 To do that,
14:52 they alter or change the natural ways of these animals.
14:58 Just like in Surigao del Sur.
15:00 One of their attractions is the Sibadan Fish Cage.
15:04 [music]
15:11 When I looked at them,
15:13 they were the first ones I saw.
15:16 The giant chuck traveli.
15:23 And next to them are the pag-usting ray.
15:32 They seem to be peaceful in this place.
15:35 But they are not free.
15:39 They are surrounded by nets.
15:43 The pag-ustin ray here serve as an attraction for tourists.
15:54 I observe them.
15:56 Their instincts are still there,
15:58 they are still away from people.
16:00 But I observe the tourists.
16:03 This area looks like their feeding stage.
16:08 They are waiting for food,
16:11 that's why they are here.
16:13 On top, you can see
16:15 the blackish-gray above them.
16:19 When there are tourists in the feeding area,
16:25 the pag-ustin rays are close to each other,
16:27 they are like asking for food.
16:30 Our camera also caught them eating.
16:38 What we found out is,
16:40 for people to be safe and enjoy the sting rays,
16:46 they have to sacrifice the barb or the part of the tail that has sting.
16:51 During my stay there, I had the chance to examine Brenda,
16:56 the biggest sting ray in the fish cage.
16:59 They remove the barb from this area.
17:20 It's growing.
17:21 This is a big help for the people
17:24 because they can see how they are being cared for.
17:28 They can also see the behavior of the wildlife.
17:32 When we put it in the cage,
17:35 they can also change their behavior.
17:37 Brenda, you're going back.
17:39 Even though removing the barb is not painful for the sting ray,
17:45 they are losing their defense.
17:48 Although it's in the plan of the facility
17:51 to breed and make these sting rays disappear in the wild,
17:56 it's a very sad sight to see this honestly.
18:00 These sting rays don't have feet or hands.
18:02 Their tail is only their defense.
18:05 And unfortunately, they have to remove their defense on the tail
18:10 so that the tourists in Surigao can accommodate.
18:15 I can see that the sting ray is not doing a bad job.
18:20 Although it has a violation,
18:22 on the other side of the coin,
18:24 it's feeding the species.
18:26 It's not grilling them.
18:28 It's just feeding them.
18:31 What they are applying is using the area
18:36 for the purpose of fish cage purposes.
18:41 We didn't project the shark and sting ray.
18:45 I hope that in our New Year's resolution,
18:48 we will include a broader understanding
18:51 of the animals that are our neighbors.
18:54 For 16 years, this is the advocacy of the program.
18:57 Reduce the number of wildlife that are injured.
19:00 Reduce the number of wildlife that are in the rescue centers.
19:03 Although the attitude of our people towards wildlife has changed a lot,
19:07 we hope that this coming 2024,
19:09 we will be more appreciative and understanding of our wildlife
19:13 because we are only moving one world.
19:16 Dear Born,
19:17 We hope that next year will be a good year.
19:19 We are thankful for your support and participation in our whole year.
19:24 In the coming 2024,
19:26 I hope that you will still accompany us
19:28 in the many adventures and wildlife stories that we will do.
19:33 So from us, Born to be Wild,
19:37 Happy New Year, Kapol!
19:40 [Music]
20:02 [BLANK_AUDIO]