Two six-month old baby grass owl who belonged to the endangered group of raptors – meat eating birds - were rescued after they were being chased by stray dogs near the lighthouse in Poro Point here yesterday.
Danilo Fajardo, along with his father Benjamin, the lighthouse caretaker, caught the birds ahead before they were harmed by dogs.
“They can’t fly because their wings are still weak. The dogs are running after them,” Danilo said telling that they saw three birds but only two were captured.
Danilo said they observed that the birds have long been staying at a grassy portion near the lighthouse because they usually saw a couple of adult birds flying around the area, probably their parent.
Danilo brought the birds to Mayor Pablo Ortega for treatment and proper care before it would be released to the wild.
Ortega has been campaigning for the preservation of various endangered specie, such as birds and animals, and established his office for the proper turn over of any specie in coordination with DENR.
The city government also established a wild life sanctuary at the La Union Botanical Garden in Barangay Cadaclan here.
Ortega, along with Valmar Valdez, city environment officer, and Dr. Joey Zarate of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources immediately treated the birds’ bleeding noses with betadine.
The birds were injured in their noses because they used it in trying to open the steel cage.
Zarate said the owls are healthy and usually fed on meat.
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