Aired (April 6, 2025): On Mount Redondo in Dinagat Island lies the Natural Bonsai Forest, a unique dwarf forest that serves as a habitat for various insect species. However, parts of this ecosystem have been impacted by mining activities. Meanwhile, in Linapacan, Palawan, flying foxes are now living near human communities. For the full story, watch the 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 #GMAPublicAffairs #GMANetwork
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‘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 #GMAPublicAffairs #GMANetwork
Watch it every Sunday, 9 AM on GMA
Network. Subscribe to youtube.com/gmapublicaffairs for our full episodes.
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00:00The looks of the trees here, they look old but they are still small, that's the difference here in the bonsai forest.
00:15Oh my gosh, look at this, the female is a lot larger and look at this.
00:30The plants here are not easy to find, they are hard to find.
00:37But what they don't know is that there are some that can be used as fertilizer.
00:44Why do you have traps? Why do you have mistnets? Do you want to catch something?
00:50We finally caught one of these.
01:01In this forest, all the trees are small.
01:07Imagine a miniature forest in a movie.
01:17This is like a dwarf forest, it's real and you can see it in Dinagat Island.
01:24It is said to be about 100 years old.
01:30Underneath it, different species of insects live.
01:37Just like the walking stick insect.
01:40Our team went to Loreto, Dinagat Islands, a special forest.
01:59Not like the big trees in the forest, because it is smaller.
02:11The looks of the trees here, they look old but they are still small, that's the difference here in the bonsai forest.
02:28Yes! I'm on top of the world! Mount Rildondo! Beautiful!
02:59In this small forest, there are also small insects.
03:06It's like the valentine's day is extended with the walking stick insect that we saw.
03:17They just quietly multiply.
03:21Oh my God! Look at this, the female is a lot larger and look at this, it's amazing, it's like it's camouflaged.
03:33Look at that, they're mating.
03:37The female is definitely the larger one and the male is smaller and it's mimicking a twig of a bonsai.
03:44It's not just a twig, it's a bonsai with a lot of bark.
03:48This is just one species and you can see that it is mimicking the trunk of a bonsai.
03:57So that it won't get in trouble, we left it on the leaves.
04:01Another walking stick insect, when the sun is up, the blue color comes out.
04:21But don't be afraid because when it's in danger, it will fight.
04:27It has a beautiful face, the color is bluish.
04:31When they're walking, their tail looks like a scorpion.
04:36You'd think it's just plastic because it's shiny and metallic blue.
04:42I'm expecting a different type of fauna.
04:45And the popular thing that students see here are the stick insects.
04:51Imagine here, they don't have to fly because they don't have to fly to a big tree.
04:59That's why they're adapted to this condition.
05:04It's a bit twisted.
05:06Look at this, it's amazing.
05:09Its head is white and it has spots on its legs.
05:15They don't fly.
05:16Its head is white and it has spots on its legs.
05:21They don't have wings because they can just crawl from one bonsai to another.
05:27And it only eats very specialized vegetation.
05:47In Mount Redondo, it's still early and it's already waiting to be caught.
05:55Its target is to find a delicious breakfast.
05:59While the inchworm is trying to hide in the pitcher plant.
06:07But wait, you have to be careful.
06:12Because an inchworm can go inside the pitcher plant.
06:19Every time it goes inside, it's life is in danger.
06:25The water of the pitcher plant is mixed with acid, which is the cause of the death of the victim.
06:32There are some that prefer to calm down, like the snout beetle.
06:38But the spiny ant is not afraid.
06:46It looks like it's looking for its companions.
06:53In this small forest, it's already learned that it can only live if its companion is alive.
07:01This is the pill bug.
07:03It's beautiful.
07:04It's eating my stick.
07:07When I move it, it becomes round.
07:27This is the fifth one that we've seen.
07:30It's amazing.
07:32Its foot looks like an antenna.
07:53Not all animals can live in the bonsai forest.
08:01Especially that the soil here is rich in metallic content.
08:06Like the nickel that is used to make gadgets.
08:16This place is special according to Dr. Jessamine Adorada, an entomologist.
08:22They are the only ones who can survive with the environmental drastic conditions, along with the soil nutrients present.
08:31So, if the bonsai forest disappears, the walking sticks that you see might be wiped out.
08:38Their next generation may want to feed on other sources of plants or food, but it will take some time.
08:45Mount Redondo is one of the mountains that has a large bonsai forest in the Philippines.
08:52But its richness is almost gone when other parts of it were allowed to be mined before.
09:04The mountain also left behind a large pile of mines.
09:10Mount Redondo is in Dinagat Islands.
09:15It's the only protected area.
09:19That's why the bonsai forest is maintained.
09:22Outside of this perimeter of the bonsai forest are mining fields.
09:29We can see that everything is brown because the vegetation has been removed.
09:35Chromico Incorporated sent an email saying that they have stopped mining Mount Redondo for a long time.
09:45For now, the local government wants to open the mountain to mountaineers.
09:50Tuk-tuk is a great paradise for small animals like walking sticks, beetles, skinks, and who knows what else we might discover here.
10:08When it comes to paper and nature, no matter how big or small life is, paper has an important role in preserving nature.
10:21Tuk-Tuk
10:25The skinks are not afraid.
10:32The bees are skeptical of their return.
10:41They fight for their place.
10:45It's like each one of them doesn't want to lose.
10:51It's like it's in a mess.
10:57But what it doesn't know is that there's something fishy.
11:14These flying foxes are known as Kabilaw Sakuyunin.
11:21They are looking for a place to stay after a long search for food.
11:28It's time for them to rest.
11:32Even though it's hot, they are still hardworking.
11:37Their eyes really make you sleepy.
11:43That's why no matter what the skinks try to do,
11:47Kabilaw will make them do it.
11:58The skinks can't do anything.
12:01No matter how hard they try,
12:05especially since they need enough space to rest.
12:16They use their instant electric fan.
12:21Even though some of them are comfortable in their place,
12:24there are other neighbors who complain.
12:27The people.
12:32The residents of Kabilaw,
12:35the skinks,
12:37are just behind Arlan's house.
12:40When did you first notice the bats you see here?
12:45It's been a long time.
12:47It's been almost 8 to 12 years.
12:50With the increase of people, what's the reason?
12:54Where do you think they came from?
12:55I don't know where they came from.
12:57It just happened suddenly.
12:59When there were more people here,
13:01maybe there were more bats on other islands.
13:05With the increase of bats,
13:07their community is louder.
13:10When I wake up in the morning,
13:12it's really loud.
13:14You'll wake up to their noise.
13:16In search of a place,
13:18the bats are lined up,
13:20not wanting to be defeated.
13:22But Kabilaw seems to be interested
13:25in other bats.
13:33In 2018, the residents noticed
13:37the increase of flying foxes or kabilaw
13:39on the island of Palawan.
13:42I asked them where they came from
13:45and why they chose this place.
13:49I went to the roosting site of the kabilaw.
13:53The bats are big.
13:55They say they can see millions of bats.
13:59I think I'm the only one who can see them
14:01because they're not hiding in the leaves.
14:06At the home of the kabilaw,
14:08we noticed
14:10that the breathing kabilaw
14:12have relatives who are dead.
14:16Why do you have a trap?
14:18Remove it.
14:20Why do you have mist nets?
14:22Do you want to catch something?
14:24The bats are pitiful.
14:26They might get stuck there and die.
14:28Remove it if you can.
14:30Two kabilaw were victimized
14:32by a net stuck on a tree.
14:34Others say they can eat it.
14:37Don't eat it.
14:39It has rabies.
14:41It's sick.
14:43You can't take care of it
14:44because it has rabies.
14:46It has rabies
14:48and it might have a disease
14:50if it's eaten by humans.
14:53So you have to let them be.
14:55They won't harm us.
14:57To be honest,
14:59they're one of the trees' helpers
15:01as a seed disperser
15:03so that it can grow and multiply.
15:06They're like fruit-eating bats.
15:08They also help in dispersing seeds.
15:11Your trees might multiply
15:13because of the bats.
15:15If they eat it,
15:17they'll eat it.
15:19Of course, if they eat it,
15:21the seeds are still there.
15:23You can plant it in the mountains.
15:25They can help you in planting.
15:27In the morning,
15:29it's peaceful.
15:31But when dark comes,
15:33the residents here
15:35become suspicious.
15:37There's a lot of dust
15:38in the air.
15:40If you're outside,
15:42you'll get dirty.
15:44When it's sunny,
15:46you can go inside.
15:48At night,
15:50this is their situation
15:52with the bats.
15:55The residents are suspicious
15:57because they can't do anything
15:59because it's part of their property.
16:02When it gets dark,
16:04we can see the bats
16:06and we can feel
16:08their droppings.
16:10That's why people
16:12suddenly disappear
16:14and enter the house.
16:16They say it's only 30 minutes
16:18and after that,
16:20most bats will come out.
16:24In the meantime,
16:26let's go inside.
16:29The bats
16:31can be destroyed
16:32if their roosting areas
16:34are reduced
16:36compared to their first resting area.
16:38Their food supply
16:40can be depleted
16:42since these flying foxes
16:44eat fruits.
16:46Since they don't have food
16:48in their old roosting area,
16:50they will really move.
16:53They can get sick
16:55from their dirt
16:57like histoplasmosis,
16:59a type of infection
17:00that can be caused
17:02from the spores of fungus
17:04in their roosting areas.
17:07In Thailand,
17:09this is also the situation
17:11where the residents
17:13live in the same area
17:15with their roosting areas.
17:17Our team went to a place
17:19in Thailand
17:21that looks like this.
17:23There's a community,
17:25cows, mountains,
17:27and bats.
17:28This is where they study
17:30when the bats arrive
17:32or when they return.
17:34That's the time
17:36when they gather in an area
17:38and put plastic bags.
17:40The goal is to collect
17:42those feces or droppings
17:44and that's what they study.
17:46They found out
17:48that the bats
17:50that live with them
17:52is positive for Nipah virus.
17:54One of the heads
17:56of the research team
17:58found out that the bats
18:00have a disease
18:02that can infect humans.
18:04The bats
18:06can go home
18:08from the pandemic
18:10and how to avoid it.
18:12Bats are the natural
18:14reservoirs
18:16for many emerging
18:18infectious diseases.
18:20For example,
18:22Nipah virus in Asia,
18:24coronavirus reservoir
18:26is very important
18:28in their studies.
18:30There's a positive
18:32for Nipah virus
18:34from the feces
18:36and droppings
18:38that they collected
18:40in Chonburi.
18:42One of their missions
18:44is to let the community
18:46know and understand
18:48this.
18:50So even though
18:52residents know
18:54that this disease
18:55is part of
18:57my education
18:59to the community
19:01that how to live
19:03safely with bats.
19:05That's why inside the temple
19:07the coexistence
19:09between monks
19:11and panikin
19:13exists.
19:15I hope that
19:17the communities
19:19that have panikin
19:21also think
19:23the same.
19:25And within
19:27100 years
19:29they didn't neglect
19:31the residents
19:33and the panikin
19:35living here.
19:37Thousands of
19:39microbes and viruses
19:41are said to live
19:43in the panikin body.
19:45There are more
19:47bats that can
19:49swallow it
19:51to become a tree.
19:52This is what the residents
19:54will choose
19:56if there is
19:58enough of this
20:00in the jungle.