Aired (February 23, 2025): This week, Doc Ferds Recio and Doc Nielsen Donato embark on a mission to rescue wild animals that have strayed far from their natural habitats. Can they safely return these creatures to where they belong? Watch this video.
‘Born to be Wild’ is GMA Network’s groundbreaking environmental and wildlife show hosted by resident veterinarians Doc Nielsen Donato and Doc Ferds Recio. #BornToBeWild #GMAPublicAffairs #GMANetwork
Watch it every Sunday, 9 AM on GMA
Network. Subscribe to youtube.com/gmapublicaffairs for our full episodes.
‘Born to be Wild’ is GMA Network’s groundbreaking environmental and wildlife show hosted by resident veterinarians Doc Nielsen Donato and Doc Ferds Recio. #BornToBeWild #GMAPublicAffairs #GMANetwork
Watch it every Sunday, 9 AM on GMA
Network. Subscribe to youtube.com/gmapublicaffairs for our full episodes.
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00:00Pangil has squamous cell carcinoma or skin cancer.
00:11We have no choice but to operate and amputate that area.
00:28In the river areas, a lot of chicken cages can be seen.
00:34But there is one cage here that is not filled with chickens.
00:39Hey, boy.
00:44What's up?
00:47It's big.
00:48You saw it earlier, it's mouth is about to open.
00:50It's ready to eat.
00:52It's mouth is about to open.
01:08It looks fatty.
01:14With its big body and teeth,
01:18it can knock down its opponents.
01:23But in the face of danger,
01:27when it gets lost in the house,
01:30it can't avoid being chased by people.
01:40A wild animal was caught in the middle of the Languyan-Tawi-Tawi Basin.
01:46I thought it was going to run away.
01:52The fishermen were already affected.
01:57The wild animal remained in the village for two days.
02:02That's why more than ten people helped to get it on a makeshift boat.
02:10From the island,
02:12they brought more than 18 wild animals to the center.
02:16Now, it's under the care of the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Energy of Tawi-Tawi.
02:25This incident is often done by communities that have a wild animal as their livelihood.
02:34The bite of a wild animal,
02:37the accidental bite of a human,
02:39doesn't mean that they know how to eat.
02:42It could be that they have a habit of eating.
02:45That's why they go back to the place where they were caught.
02:53Pangil is an adult saltwater crocodile that was caught in Agusan Marsh in the 1990s.
03:00It was hit by a bullet in the side.
03:04It was shot in fear of being eaten by other wild animals in their community.
03:09He was brought to us from Agusan with a gunshot wound on his right rear, close to his tail.
03:21We treated him.
03:22There was no way of bringing him back to the wild because there's already a community there.
03:29Pangil was brought to Davao Crocodile Park,
03:32a facility in Davao that was accredited by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources or DENR
03:39to take care of animals such as crocodiles.
03:43Pangil is the oldest and the biggest crocodile taken care of by Davao Crocodile Park.
03:50But after almost three decades,
03:54Pangil's heavy business started.
03:58Unfortunately, this Pangil has a lesion on his left toe.
04:06The small wound on his left toe spread
04:11until it became one and a half kilograms of tumor.
04:14It was just a small wound.
04:16And then the management was just wound management.
04:22One year later, in 2021, it became a small ping pong ball.
04:27The tumor was very big.
04:29So we took a sample for biopsy.
04:34Because of his age, the operation will be done early.
04:39With the help of 20 specialists,
04:43Pangil was operated on in 2023.
04:48It was built by a wildlife veterinarian under my leadership
04:52and by Doc Bayani Vanderbroek of Davao City.
04:55The veterinary assistants and Davao Crocodile Park personnel are also here.
05:02We have no choice but to operate and amputate that area.
05:07We computed the dose and we used the lower dose.
05:11Then we divided the dose and we gradually gave sedatives and tranquilizers.
05:18Because our fear is that we might be successful in removing the tumor
05:24but we might not wake up later.
05:34After giving sedatives,
05:37Pangil was placed in a squeeze cage where he will be operated.
05:54We gradually reduced the size of the toe,
05:57seeing how deep the tumor went.
06:00At first, when I was removing those toes,
06:03it was very difficult to remove the bone.
06:05So I needed to use an oscillating saw
06:08to cut the phalanges, the digits of the feet.
06:17It took three hours before the tumor was removed.
06:21Finally, we completed the procedure for Pangil.
06:26It was really difficult for me.
06:28With my team, Doc Bayani, things became much more manageable.
06:33The post-op care, I think, will be one of the most difficult tasks of Team Pangil.
06:42Because for now, it looks like we closed his wound well.
06:47But of course, once Pangil starts moving,
06:53the stump that we left can open.
06:58The antibiotics that he will be given, the pain medications,
07:02how to prevent flies that will be attracted.
07:08Five months passed.
07:11I brought Pangil back again.
07:13His wound is slowly healing,
07:17but there are still surgical sutures or stitches left.
07:21The absorbables won't last long.
07:23And because it doesn't melt, it's still there.
07:28So we will try to remove it.
07:44Pangil can now move the part of his foot that was operated on.
07:50One year after I treated Pangil,
07:54we were entrusted with the management of Davao Crocodile Park.
07:59It was January this year.
08:02Pangil died due to complications of his skin cancer or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma.
08:13If Pangil grew up in the care of humans,
08:18Moki Sr. had a different fate.
08:23He was hospitalized until he died in Languyan, Tawi-Tawi in 2019.
08:30Because the crocodiles ate the animals there.
08:34In the discovery of the world of animals and humans,
08:38it is important to know that saltwater crocodiles become aggressive,
08:43especially during mating season.
08:46It starts every November until March.
08:51In the following time, we will see the animals.
08:55We hope to learn from the people who guide the animals,
09:00especially since we are just a part of their territory.
09:12In the wild, these creatures are the only ones
09:16that can hunt and hunt.
09:19In the wild, these creatures are the only ones
09:23that can hunt and hunt.
09:27They are feared because of their ability and appearance.
09:35But when they are in the hands of humans,
09:38their fate changes.
09:49You will see Philippine sailfin lizards
09:53resting in their places.
09:57In plants,
09:59in grass,
10:01and even in rocks.
10:05It is not far, even thousands of people.
10:10These lizards are not in the wild, but inside the zoo.
10:19Likasa Philippine sailfin lizard, or ibid,
10:22is the best at escaping.
10:27But in this place,
10:29it is calm and friendly to people.
10:40Outside the zoo, the lizards are not trapped here
10:44and are free to roam freely.
10:46and are free to roam freely.
10:51They do not move.
10:53It is like people are in a cage.
10:56There are instances where people are afraid
10:59because they do not know that they are being cared for here.
11:06Where do they go?
11:08They dig their eggs in the open areas.
11:13Before the zoo was built in 2007,
11:16the lizards used to live there.
11:20According to them,
11:22there are more than 50 lizards living here.
11:29What did it look like before?
11:31Was it a swampy area?
11:33Yes, sir. This is what a swimming pool is made of.
11:36The whole area there is a swamp.
11:39They dug the ground to make it stable.
11:43It was like a forest before.
11:44It is also omnivorous
11:46and often eats meat or plants.
11:53We have seen other lizards feeding people.
11:57When did it start?
11:59For as long as it does not move.
12:01Because the lizards,
12:03whatever they eat,
12:05it is not their choice.
12:07If they do not want to give their food,
12:10they will not eat it.
12:11The lizards do not rely on the food given by the tourists.
12:17Moreover, they can still find their own food.
12:22The lizards have a survival instinct
12:25and they can overcome the bigger animals in front of them.
12:33Look at its tail.
12:35Maybe it has cut it already.
12:37But it will grow back.
12:38One of the characteristic features of this species
12:42is that their body is very robust.
12:47They are excellent swimmers.
12:49That is why they use their tails for swimming.
12:52And they are also very good climbers.
12:55You can see them on the top of the tree.
12:58That is why the claws like that,
13:00the ones with slender nails,
13:03they use it for climbing.
13:05And their tails,
13:07mostly for swimming.
13:10When the lizards swim,
13:12they usually raise their nose in the water to breathe.
13:17There are also occasions when the bigger lizards eat the smaller ones.
13:24Their only predator here are carnivorous animals like cats or dogs
13:31that might eat the young.
13:35These salfien lizards also have a cannibalistic behavior.
13:40In the absence of available food,
13:43they can eat the small lizards.
13:49I immediately let the lizard go.
13:55There it is.
13:57Look at the head.
13:58It's amazing.
14:00It's so fast.
14:02The stance like that,
14:04that's the attack mode.
14:08Ready to escape anytime.
14:10You can see how fast it moves.
14:12When I hold it, it's very calm.
14:15When we let it go, it really runs away.
14:19If the lizards are far from the people in the zoo,
14:23this creature has a different fate.
14:29In the rain clouds,
14:32you can see the rows of chickens.
14:36But one of the chickens here is not a chicken.
14:41This is the Marbled Water Monitor Lizard.
14:45In a small chicken coop,
14:47it forces its body to fit in.
14:51But don't let it get too close
14:54because if it gets angry,
14:56it might attack.
14:59Oh no!
15:01According to the resident, Eddie,
15:04the Marbled Water Monitor Lizard is lost in their house.
15:07He temporarily placed it in the chicken coop.
15:12What happened? Why is there a Marbled Water Monitor Lizard here?
15:15Last Thursday, I was going to work in Tasumaga.
15:18Now, I heard that it's causing trouble there.
15:20When I saw it, I heard that it's big.
15:24I was looking for it.
15:25I was looking for it.
15:27It climbed on my feet.
15:29I told it, don't kill it.
15:31I'll catch it.
15:33It said, if you catch it, come down here.
15:35So, you called us to surrender.
15:38That was my intention.
15:40You did the right thing.
15:42This might not be the last time you'll encounter it.
15:45But the most dangerous thing for them is the bite
15:47because their mouth is dirty.
15:49It's not because they have venom,
15:51but because their mouths are dirty.
15:53So, you might get infected if you get bitten.
15:57Another thing, you did the right thing.
15:59You transported it.
16:02You moved it to a place like this.
16:06Dogs can't bite it.
16:08Eddie was also reminded by the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources,
16:13or MNR, Dan Martin.
16:15If ever it reappears, and you're the last one left,
16:18just contact us.
16:20We'll go there for our team to handle the animal.
16:25Despite a week in prison,
16:28Bayawak is still aggressive.
16:38It's big.
16:41It's mouth.
16:45It's big and strong.
16:46Hold it here.
16:53It's heavy.
16:57Wait.
16:59Let's catch it first.
17:01Bayawak is huge.
17:03As you can see, it's mouth is already open.
17:05It's not going to bite.
17:07That's its second defense.
17:09The first one is to flick its tail.
17:12Its tail.
17:15And also,
17:17we have to be careful with its slender nails.
17:21It's heavy.
17:23Okay.
17:28This is okay in a way.
17:30So, it won't freak out.
17:35It won't be able to see anything.
17:37Let's make a hole here.
17:40So, it can breathe.
17:42The next day
17:50I examined the Bayawak before I released it.
17:55It's injured.
17:57It seems like it lost its teeth.
18:00I didn't expect this.
18:05It lost its teeth.
18:07But it's missing one at the bottom.
18:10Look at its teeth.
18:12It's small, serrated, it's slender even though it's small, right?
18:16That's why when it bites, it really sticks.
18:19The one on the bottom, it's a bit less now.
18:22Maybe when it bit on the bag or the metal that holds it,
18:29it really hit the teeth.
18:31I don't know if this was self-inflicted,
18:33but those teeth are going to grow back.
18:37We just need to give this some antibiotics.
18:42Treatment and vitamins, right?
18:44So that we can help it.
18:48But this is big.
18:49It's body is okay.
18:50It looks okay.
18:53Skin, everything.
18:54There are a few scratches,
18:55but generally healthy.
19:00I can release this back.
19:02Just wait for it.
19:04It's big, right?
19:06His narrow prison
19:13free the animal to roam.
19:19It is inevitable to find the path of other animals.
19:25When this happens,
19:27do not capture it and put in a prison.
19:31especially since it's more enjoyable to live freely in the place where they live.