MANILA, Philippines — In a rare and vital win for local wildlife conservation, a critically endangered Philippine freshwater crocodile was safely retrieved from the urban waterways of Metro Manila. Environmental authorities and local responders successfully rescued the reptile, colloquially known as a “bukarot,” after alert citizens flagged its presence in Valenzuela City.
The extraction was carried out on Friday through a joint operation by Valenzuela’s City Veterinary Services Office and the North Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Office under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Metropolitan Environmental Office (DENR-MEO).
Following its capture, wildlife veterinarians conducted an immediate physical examination of the crocodilian, confirming that the misplaced predator managed to survive its urban ordeal in surprisingly good health:
- Physical Metrics: The rescued crocodile measured an impressive 7 feet and 3 inches in length (approximately 2.13 meters) and weighed in at roughly 70 kilograms.
- Medical Evaluation: Initial health assessments marked the animal in stable condition with no signs of debilitating injury or severe distress.
- Immediate Custody Transfer: To guarantee its long-term safety, the crocodile was immediately transferred to the Wildlife Rescue Center of the DENR’s Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) for formal observation, expert assessment, and specialized rehabilitation.
The presence of a Crocodylus mindorensis in Metro Manila waters is highly unusual, given that the species is widely recognized as the rarest and most endangered crocodilian species on Earth.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List logs the species as Critically Endangered, following a catastrophic population collapse of nearly 95 percent between 1937 and 2012. Environmental experts estimate that fewer than 250 mature individuals remain in the wild, with highly fragmented, isolated populations hanging on exclusively in remote corners of Northern Luzon and parts of Mindanao.
Strict Legal Protections for the “Bukarot”
The DENR-National Capital Region (NCR) took the opportunity to issue a strict warning to the public regarding the severe legal boundaries governing native wildlife.
The Philippine freshwater crocodile is heavily shielded under Republic Act No. 9147, otherwise known as the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act of 2001. Under this statute, the unauthorized capture, killing, harm, or illegal keeping of endangered species carries severe criminal liabilities, including hefty non-bailable fines and multi-year prison sentences.
“Protecting endemic and critically endangered species such as the ‘bukarot’ is an essential part of maintaining biodiversity and ecological balance that supports both human life and the environment,” the DENR-NCR statement concluded, urging urban communities to immediately report stray or trafficked exotic wildlife to proper authorities rather than taking matters into their own hands.