Scales, Crawlers, Feathers & Fins: The Event 2 was recently held at Victory Mall in Monumento, Caloocan. This first Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-legalized exotic pets expo in the Philippines― created by the Boa Keepers Philippines organization―presented visitors with a fun day of exploring and learning more about exotic pets. It was the second installment of the said event, with the first having been held last December 2014 in Quezon City.
With 1,071 attendees, the event united different groups from all over the Philippines. Those who were getting their start with exotic pets were also given the chance to learn more about the local world of exotic pets.
As soon as the event opened, people flocked to the various booths to learn more about their chosen pets, buy their pets, pick up items for their pets’ dietary requirements, or simply take photos with or of the booths and the animals on display as souvenirs. It was heartening to see the unexpected yet welcome oversized crowd, the visitors which included everything from young children to people of various ages.
The exotic pet scene in the Philippines is growing, and the event showed that Pinoys are also interested in exotic pets. That many were there to learn more about the various exotic pets showed that responsible pet ownership is on the rise, and people understand the importance of educating themselves about their chosen pets.
It is hoped that once they learn more, especially about the pros and cons of keeping exotic pets, they will understand the importance of being responsible pet owners and the commitment involved in acquiring exotic pets. This falls in line with the objectives of Boa Keepers Philippines, which was established in June 2012 by Jing Bagsic.
From 8 members, Boa Keepers Philippines now has 318 active members from all over the
Philippines. The event had a secondary objective: a good cause. The organization’s proceeds from this successful event will be donated to a private orphanage in Manila― and they plan to do the same after every future event.
Those who missed out on the first two events can catch the upcoming Boa Keepers Philippines anniversary event on June 13, 2015, also at the Victory Mall in Monumento, Caloocan.
This story appeared in Animal Scene’s April 2015 issue.
