Visitors are advised to take extra caution amid the coronavirus pandemic while at the Mari-it Wildlife and Conservation Park in Lambunao, Iloilo town is now open to the public.
Dr. JB Ian Bullo, veterinarian of the West Visayas State University-College of Agriculture and Forestry (WVSU-CAF) said the re-opening of the park is just in time for the breeding season.
“Since it is breeding season, the areas to be visited are limited; they can no longer go beyond the deer (area),” he told Panay News in an interview. “When they visit, we make sure that they won’t create too much noise.”
Mari-it is the first conservation, breeding, and rescue park in Panay Island. It is located within the campus of the WVSU-CAF in Barangay Jayubo. It is currently home to 15 Visayan writhed hornbills, a Visayan tarictic hornbill, 20 Visayan spotted deer, 11 Visayan warty pigs, five Visayan leopard cats, and two cloud rats, among others.
Most of its animals are critically endangered animals, and the park itself has a variety of rich flora and fauna, which is why it is being promoted as an eco-tourism site.
The pandemic has allowed the animals to rest, and the keepers of the park are making sure the number of guests visiting will be controlled so as not to stress the animals from the noise.
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