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A female Pilot whale which was recently stranded in Sarangani Bay due to an injury has returned to its natural habitat on Friday, September 3, after rehabilitation efforts.
 
According to a report, the 4.2 meters whale beached itself on August 29, around eight in the evening at Barangay Gumasa in Glan town, Sarangani Province.
 
The Megafauna Response Team composed of Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), provincial local government unit (PLGU) of Sarangani, LGU Glan, Barangay Gumasa, PNP Maritime-Glan, DENR, CENRO Glan and Protected Area Management Office of Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape (PAMO-SBPS) immediately responded to the whale stranding incident.
 
The resident veterinarians from LGU Glan and Sarangani Environmental Conservation Protection Center (ECPC) said that the marine mammal was found weak and dehydrated with buoyancy problem due to an injury in its left flipper/pectoral fin.
 
They immediately initiated the rehabilitation process on August 30 under the guidance of the consultants from Philippine Marine Mammal Stranding Network (PMMSN).
 
The attending veterinarians said that the rehab was set to be extended for five (5) more days but after administering medicines, foods and electrolytes on September 2, the whale was observed to have regained strength.
 
On Friday, Pilot whale “Heroine” swam back to the wild after showing signs of recovery.
 
SBPS Protected Area Superintendent Joy C. Ologuin reminded the public to immediately report any marine wildlife stranding incidents to the nearest authorities.
 
She said that people should also be cautious in approaching stranded wildlife in order to save their lives.
 
Meanwhile, BFAR XII Regional Director Alfeo G. Piloton extended his thanks to the Bantay Dagat, Earth Island Institute (non-government organization), Local Marine Mammal Stranding Network and the community for their help in saving the Pilot whale.
 
Currently, the team is still on red alert for a possible re-stranding of the said marine mammal. (With report from PAMO-SBPS)