InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY - Wildlife experts here are warning residents against making domestic pets out of monkeys because they bring diseases that can seriously affect human health.
The warning was issued by Palawan Wildlife Refuge and Rescue Center chief Dr. Glenn Rebong following the turnover Tuesday of a baby monkey seized from the home of a foreign national by environment authorities.
Rebong said monkeys are wild and, therefore, should be left to come of age in the wilds rather than be domesticated by humans.
“Kapag dependent na siya sa tao, kung maghahanap siya ng pagkain ay magre-rely na siya sa tao. Kapag di siya binigyan, manggugulo na siya because of the change in behavior (If the monkey becomes dependent on humans, they will depend on them for food. If they are not given food, they become rowdy because of the change in behavior),” Rebong said.
He also said monkeys can put the lives of humans in danger because they carry diseases like diarrhea and tuberculosis.
This is because the genetic composition of monkeys resembles that of humans, said Rebong.
“Posible din na magdala sila ng sakit like diarrhea and tuberculosis at mahawa ang mga tao, o di kaya ang sakit naman ng tao ang makahawa sa kanila (It’s possible that they bring illnesses to humans, or humans infect them),” he added.
Lawyer Regie Tulali, head of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office, on the other hand, warned that residents who take wildlife as pets need to get permit to be able to take care of them.
If no permit is presented, the wildlife will be confiscated, and the owner will be held liable by the CENRO.
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