DENR Metropolitan Environmental OfficeโNorth retrieved a Philippine Water Monitor Lizard (๐๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐ฏ๐ถ๐ด ๐ฎ๐ข๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ข๐ต๐ถ๐ด) from Barangay 14, Caloocan City late last month. The lizard was first caught in the garden of MB Asistio Senior High School in 2020 but was illegally kept by its catchers in a cage inside the school. When the newly appointed school administrators discovered the reptile however, they decided to surrender it to DENR. Known locally as โbayawakโ, the animal was immediately taken to to the Wildlife Rescue Center at the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center in Quezon City for temporary custody and care. According to the attending veterinarian, the lizard measures 3.35 ft. from snout to tail and weighs 11.5 kilograms. Hunting, killing, or keeping wild animals as pets is illegal under Republic Act No. 9147 or "Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act".
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