Join Doc Nielsen Donato and Ferds Recio as they embark on an exciting quest to track down the elusive giant centipede in Negros Occidental and the endangered Philippine deer in Aurora. Will they succeed in their mission? Watch this video.
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:00Oh, it's so big!
00:07It's just a little bit big.
00:09Its feet are fiery orange.
00:13And as you can see, it's like our childhood toys.
00:18It's 8 inches.
00:19If it sticks to my skin,
00:21I'll be in trouble because its feet are sticky.
00:26It's like a cockroach.
00:31There are territorial dogs of different breeds.
00:37Roses are hard to find.
00:39To get it, we need to leave camera traps.
00:46This looks like food.
00:47The dog ran out of everything.
00:50That's one of our neighbors.
01:00It's dark in Negros Occidental.
01:10In one of the exits, there are different animals.
01:15It crawls fast on the ground using its feet.
01:25Under the rocks,
01:26there are 8-legged reptiles.
01:30And in the trees,
01:31there's a cockroach that squints its eyes.
01:35You'll be in trouble
01:38if you encounter a jungle reptile.
01:42In the jungle.
01:55A giant centipede
01:57and a false coral snake
02:00fought each other on a cellphone camera in Camarinasur.
02:05It was obvious that they were fighting.
02:09It looks like David and Goliath.
02:12But the giant centipede, or Alupihan, is stronger.
02:26The giant Alupihan
02:28can also be found in the mountains of Negros
02:31according to hiker Paulo Oliveros.
02:34Someone told us that you're often seen in the jungle when hiking.
02:40What animals can you see there?
02:44Like millipedes and centipedes,
02:46you can see them on the trail.
02:48Sometimes, when we have time, we observe them.
02:56To see how big the Alupihan are,
03:00we climbed a mountain before the sun set.
03:05Because the Alupihan are nocturnal or more active at night.
03:11In Negros Occidental,
03:13there are different types of centipedes.
03:17But our goal is to see the giant Alupihan.
03:22Because it is rare to see a giant centipede,
03:26especially when there are a lot of ants in its habitat.
03:31According to hiker Paulo,
03:33they are afraid of the giant Alupihan
03:36every time they climb a mountain.
03:39When it comes to millipedes and centipedes,
03:44what is the most remarkable thing you've seen?
03:48There are a lot of feet.
03:50And then,
03:51it was swallowed.
03:53We just let it be.
03:55We didn't touch it.
03:57We didn't touch it.
03:58No.
03:59Why?
04:00Because we're afraid.
04:01The giant centipede lives under a rock.
04:06Together with the forest guide, Romel,
04:09we will try to catch it.
04:11So, it's under a rock.
04:16Hey!
04:17We saw a tarantula.
04:20We saw a giant centipede or tarantula.
04:25There it is.
04:28The centipede is sharp, long, and agile.
04:32The centipede is the leader of the giant centipede
04:36which is its opponent to bigger animals.
04:42Its front leg is like a horse's foot.
04:47Let's look at its fangs.
04:49See?
04:50That's what we're trying to avoid,
04:53to be bitten by their fangs.
04:56What other animals can it kill?
04:59Crickets and cicadas.
05:03Biologist Daryl Acuna reminds us
05:07to be careful of tarantulas.
05:10So far, I haven't seen any tarantula bite.
05:15But if it has an allergic reaction,
05:18the tarantula has a venom
05:19that it uses to immobilize its food.
05:24Later.
05:29Wow!
05:30It's so big!
05:31Wow! It's so fat!
05:32Oh my gosh!
05:33Look at that head!
05:35Wow!
05:36This is already a matured Philippine pit viper.
05:40It usually lives in arboreal trees.
05:45I'm really amazed by the size of this Philippine pit viper
05:49because it's rare to see one of this size.
05:53Let's examine it.
05:56We know that pit vipers are venomous.
06:00The Philippine pit viper is cytotoxic
06:03or can damage a person's tissue
06:06and can possibly die due to its venom.
06:11In the Philippines,
06:12no one has been found dead due to its venom.
06:18It's so big!
06:20What a big viper!
06:24It has a bullet in its lower jaw.
06:27Let's take a look.
06:28If you don't see it and you pass by it,
06:30it can strike you.
06:33It has a bullet in its lower jaw.
06:35Could it be its own fangs that damage its own tissue?
06:40I immediately examined the viper.
06:47Look at that.
06:50It has a bullet in its lower jaw.
06:53And it's right in the mouth.
06:59Look at those fangs.
07:01It won't stop praying.
07:03See, they're foldable and they can find their target.
07:07Even though it has a wound in its mouth,
07:09it's strong and can still survive in the jungle.
07:14Let's let it go.
07:16Let's put it here.
07:19I haven't encountered a viper in a long time
07:24because we haven't made stories in the forest for a long time.
07:28But here, we're lucky
07:31because we can see this huge Philippine pit viper.
07:35Aside from the wound in its mouth,
07:37it's very healthy.
07:38It means it eats well.
07:41The Philippine pit viper is a carnivore
07:44and it likes to eat small animals.
07:49We continued our search for the giant Philippine pit viper.
08:02It's right here.
08:03It has a bullet in its lower jaw.
08:06It's a bit big.
08:07Its feet are fiery orange.
08:11And as you can see,
08:13it looks like the toys we used to play with when we were kids.
08:15They look like a rubber toy,
08:16but this one is real.
08:18I touched it.
08:19Its body is soft.
08:21But this is not what I was expecting.
08:25It's a bit big.
08:26It has a bullet in its mouth.
08:28It's right here.
08:29It's right here.
08:30It's right here.
08:31It's right here.
08:32It's right here.
08:34This is not what I was expecting.
08:37I thought it would be bigger.
08:40So this one is probably still a young one.
08:46After walking for 30 minutes,
08:51we saw a giant Philippine pit viper.
08:56Oh my gosh!
08:57It's fat.
08:58It's even fatter than my finger.
09:02Oh my gosh!
09:03It's so big.
09:05It's moving.
09:06It's awake.
09:07My giant centipede is awake.
09:13It's so fat.
09:14Can you see my finger?
09:16Woohoo!
09:17We found our giant centipede.
09:20It can grow up to the size of a thumb,
09:23or the length of a straw.
09:26Eight inches.
09:29It's about 19 inches.
09:31An expert added,
09:33if the centipede bites and scratches the skin,
09:36it's better to go to the nearest hospital.
09:40The size of the centipede is bigger
09:44than the ones I've seen.
09:46It can also bite and scratch the skin.
09:49If it gets close to my skin,
09:51I'll be scared because it's legs are so short.
09:56It looks like a cockroach.
10:00But if you get bitten,
10:03it will surely bite you back.
10:08There are many different types of centipedes found in the jungle.
10:12Although they look different,
10:14they play an important role in our environment.
10:19Give respect to what you're going through.
10:22Just look at it.
10:24If you're looking for a centipede,
10:27don't just touch it.
10:30So whenever we visit and climb a mountain,
10:35let's not catch it or hurt it.
10:38In this place,
10:40there are terrador humanoids.
10:45They're hard to find,
10:47but they're smart.
10:50That's what the centipedes are like in Aurora.
10:53It looks like it's eating something.
10:56It's eating everything.
10:57It's eating everything.
10:59It's eating everything.
11:00It's eating everything.
11:01It's eating everything.
11:03It's eating everything.
11:04It's eating everything.
11:05It looks like it's eating something.
11:06It's eating everything.
11:07It's eating everything.
11:08It's eating everything.
11:16Hiding under a tree,
11:18feeling something.
11:21And slowly,
11:22the centipede is walking.
11:26Centipede.
11:27Centipede.
11:29But when it hears its master's call,
11:32it's time to eat.
11:36For two decades,
11:37centipedes have been taking care of the 15-hectare mountain,
11:41where it's free to roam and eat.
11:46Ussalea.
11:47It's coming here.
11:49It's calling.
11:50There's another one.
11:52It's calling.
11:53You know its name.
11:54Or when it hears its master's voice.
11:56USSLEA
11:58USSLEA
12:00USSLEA
12:03Usslea,
12:04is the daughter of Judith,
12:06the owner of this place.
12:08I said,
12:11God's will,
12:12to take care of nature,
12:14and from the pool,
12:16I'm an animal lover.
12:17So,
12:18I accepted them as my children.
12:22Why her?
12:23Why not the other deer?
12:24Because she's...
12:26She's your favorite?
12:27That's how it is.
12:28Favorite is favorite.
12:29And she doesn't drink outside.
12:32She only drinks here.
12:34Usslea.
12:35Come, Usslea.
12:37Compared to other Ussleas,
12:39Usslea is the only one Judith approaches.
12:43Even though they're used to people,
12:46she still has apprehension.
12:47When she approaches,
12:49she still doesn't want to be held.
12:51She's the closest to them.
12:54But,
12:56she still doesn't want to be held.
12:58She's not the one you can pet,
13:00and she's not the one you can hold or carry.
13:04But this is as close as I can get to this deer.
13:08Because Usslea is so close to Judith,
13:11it seems like she's used to being alone with people.
13:15But Usslea is not the only Usslea.
13:18Most of her companions
13:20were rescued from the wild,
13:23and breed here.
13:25Back then,
13:27Usslea's business and food was flourishing in Aurora.
13:29How many heads of deer are there now?
13:32I estimate there are around 10 to 15.
13:36How many have you lost?
13:39None.
13:40But we can see that there are babies.
13:42They gave birth this December.
13:44We can see three babies.
13:47Ussleas are very active.
13:49To catch them,
13:51we need to leave camera traps.
13:54This is a camera trap.
13:56We use this when we want to watch
14:00animals or wildlife
14:06that would not otherwise be seen on a regular day.
14:11Or if there are a lot of people,
14:13they won't be seen.
14:14They are very elusive,
14:15just like geese,
14:16which is why we are setting this up tonight.
14:19Geese are nocturnal or more active at night.
14:22If there is a movement,
14:23the camera will activate
14:25and it will take a video or photos.
14:27There is also a chance that
14:29it will go to their backyard.
14:31We have installed a camera trap
14:35in their backyard.
14:36They always go there.
14:39There is a place near their house
14:41that geese always go to.
14:44That is where we will set up
14:45the second camera trap.
14:49This is where they go in and out.
14:51They will go in here
14:53and then they will stay here.
14:54It is more suitable here
14:56compared to other places in their area.
15:03Geese's offspring,
15:05Ussleas,
15:06are elusive
15:07but love to feed
15:09on different plants.
15:12This is why
15:14it is permissible in their area.
15:17Their teeth are very sharp.
15:21Actually,
15:22their lips are very thick
15:25and very sharp.
15:27That is why they grow teeth.
15:30There is also a time
15:31when they die one by one.
15:33They die.
15:34For example,
15:35we have a lot of mango trees
15:37and they eat the mangoes
15:39when they fall.
15:40Then they drown the seed.
15:43They hide inside the eggs
15:46so don't feed them.
15:49And there is a place
15:51where they go back and forth
15:53to rest.
15:54This is the place
15:55where the geese go
15:57to rest at night.
16:01If you think about it,
16:03you have a stream of water
16:05where they can drink
16:07and this is where
16:09they lay their eggs.
16:11Look at this.
16:13Look at this.
16:15The geese,
16:16especially the males,
16:18they lay their eggs here.
16:20They lay their eggs here
16:22so you can see the eggs.
16:24This is another one.
16:26There.
16:27And this one.
16:28There.
16:30They lay their eggs here
16:32because it grows.
16:34Sometimes,
16:35they remove the eggs
16:37so they can lay their eggs again.
16:41With the help of the camera trap,
16:43we will try to find out
16:44what species of geese
16:46live here.
16:49Let's find out.
16:56A dog.
16:57A dog ate it.
17:02We saw blood.
17:06I hope they didn't come last night.
17:10We reviewed the one
17:12that we installed here
17:14outside.
17:15We couldn't figure out
17:16if this is a real geese
17:17because there's fog.
17:19There's a thin layer of fog
17:21on the ground.
17:23At first,
17:24you might think
17:25it's just a goat or a dog.
17:26But upon close inspection,
17:28you can see the shape of the eyes,
17:30the head, the body,
17:31and the lights
17:33and below the eyes,
17:35the characteristic size
17:37in comparison to the body.
17:42And the distinct ears.
17:44This is a real geese.
17:49According to Erwin Agbayani,
17:50the chief of the Conservation
17:52and Development Section
17:53of the Municipal Environment
17:54and Natural Resources Office,
17:55or MENRO,
17:58Philippine Deer are the species
17:59of geese that we caught.
18:02It's one of the largest
18:03species of geese
18:04found in the Philippines.
18:06It's possible that
18:07the geese were caught
18:09in the mountains nearby.
18:12This is the Philippine Deer,
18:13Asperdau 2019-09.
18:16This is an endangered species
18:18here in the Philippines.
18:20Based on hundreds of years of observation,
18:22there's no increase.
18:24It's just the same number
18:25of missing geese.
18:27We couldn't count them all
18:29when we were here.
18:31Although their movement is limited,
18:34the geese are able to live
18:36and breed freely.
18:39This is something that
18:40each of them needs
18:41to be able to maintain
18:42their species.
18:45No matter how large
18:46the range of geese here,
18:48they still need permission
18:50from the government
18:51before raising them.
18:54That's why Judith
18:55has a Certification of Wildlife Registration
18:57since 2005.
19:01The good thing about a wildlife
19:03is that it's still free-ranging
19:05even if it's in a cage.
19:08At least they're practicing
19:10what we're discouraging,
19:12which is to have a domesticated one
19:15because there are wildlife species
19:17that need to be observed.
19:22No matter how large
19:23the geese they're chasing,
19:25the geese have the right
19:27to live without being cared for.
19:30And hopefully,
19:31the time will come
19:32when the geese won't be able
19:34to escape their paradise.