Giant sea turtle carcass exhumed

FOR SCIENTIFIC STUDY. Experts from the National Museum exhuming the carcass of a giant sea turtle before the curious folks of Bula town in Camarines Sur. DENR BICOL PHOTO

LEGAZPI CITY --- Few days after the giant leatherback sea turtle was buried by personnel of concerned government agency, experts from the National Museum of the Philippines exhumed the carcass of 200 kilos ‘pawikan’ for scientific study here.

The sea turtle, which was buried a week ago along the shore of Brgy. Caorasan in Bula, Camarines Sur, was dug up Tuesday.

Atty. Gil. A. Aromin, DENR Bicol executive director, said that an official of the National Museum coordinated with his office and the municipal government of Bula to exhume for scientific study the carcass of giant leatherback sea turtle buried a few days ago Angel P. Bautista, acting deputy director general for administration of the National Museum of the Philippines, conducted the sea animal’s exhumation.

“The taxidermy has been done yesterday [Tuesday] on the pawikan’s body through mounting or stuffing for the purpose of display and study,” the DENR top official in Bicol said.

Aromin said that the National Museum’s thrust, as well as that of his office’s, is to be instrumental in bringing consciousness to the general public the significance of animal conservation and the preservation of the ecosystem.

“Moreover, the pawikan is an important addition to the National Museum of Natural History’s Zoological Reference Collections for further research,” he added.

The giant male pawikan measuring 138 centimeters in length and weighed 200 kilograms was found by fisherman identified as Tirso B. Renegado.

Renegado found the male pawikan already dead with both its flippers entangled with a rope, as confirmed by Henry Bismonte, Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Officer (MENRO) of Bula town.

The DENR, through its conservation and development division (CDD) is callings on the public to report such incidents and turnover these wildlife to proper authorities.

Aromin said the DENR is taking actions to strengthen the enforcement of Republic Act 9147, or the “Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act” in support of Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu’s marching order to strictly enforce biodiversity conservation.