USAID turns over new wildlife ambulance to DENR

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has turned over a new wildlife ambulance to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the first of its kind in the country to help in the rescue and retrieval of wildlife.

Coinciding with the observance of World Wildlife Day on March 2, 2021, the USAID’s turnover of the ambulance was part of its Php1.2-billion Protect Wildlife Project.

The wildlife ambulance will specifically help the DENR’s National Wildlife Rescue and Research Center improve its response time during wildlife rescue operations, as well as facilitate the provision of immediate on-site care for injured and trafficked wildlife. The vehicle has furnished cabinets for veterinary and wildlife handling equipment, a collapsible veterinary examination table and seats, and a roof rack for transporting animal crates, ladders, and other equipment for wildlife rescue.

“We appreciate USAID’s continued generosity to the DENR through the years. The enforcement of our wildlife laws, rules, and regulations do not end with the confiscation of the wildlife and the prosecution of the violators,” DENR Undersecretary Ernesto Adobo, Jr. said in his remarks during the turnover rites at the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center in Quezon City. Apart from the specialized vehicle, the USAID also handed over WILDBase, a centralized online system that will help rescue centers keep track of wildlife in their care, as well as medical records, inventory, and other important information for rescue center operations and decision-making.

USAID Philippines Environment Office Deputy Director Paul Seong, meanwhile, said the ambulance and online system complete USAID’s program of assistance for the DENR’s National Wildlife Rescue and Research Center and complements the Center’s new wildlife diagnostics equipment, wildlife handling tools, and digital innovations.

Since its inception five years ago, the Protect Wildlife project has helped protect 750,000 hectares of diverse landscapes and seascapes, trained 2,300 men and women in improved environmental enforcement practices, and brought economic and environmental benefits to 95,000 Filipinos through environmentally sustainable livelihoods, community-based enforcement, and sustainably managed natural resources.