By Glen Andrea Omandam
The Silliman University (SU) Center for Tropical Conservation Studies (CENTROP) closed temporarily to protect critically endangered Visayan warty pigs from African Swine Fever (ASF), amid increasing cases in Negros Oriental.
CENTROP Coordinator Assistant Prof. Leandro Cabrera said the facility officially closed to visitors on June 29 as a “temporary biosecurity measure” against ASF. However, no date for its reopening was announced.
“Whenever people or vehicles enter [the] CENTROP, they have to stop at the gate for the guards to disinfect the wheels,” Cabrera said.
Visitors are now strictly required to follow disinfectant measures such as foot baths to minimize the risk of ASF contamination.
“For us in Siliman, aside from the foot bath, we also requested for a more efficient drain because where CENTROP is located, it’s relatively lower than the adjacent lots,” he said.
Cabrera noted that CENTROP’s partners in Kabankalan City recently reported that 14 Visayan warty pigs died within six days.
“The way ASF works, once they are infected, it’s 100% sure they will die,” Cabrera said. Meanwhile, he assured that there are currently no recorded cases of ASF in CENTROP.
“It started out in La Libertad, and then now it’s in Amlan,” Cabrera said. “There are allegedly cases from Sibulan. So, it’s getting nearer.”
The CENTROP coordinator said improved drainage prevents floodwaters from reaching the facility as it may be route for contamination due to the absence of a vaccine.
“We adopted these protocols from our local and foreign partners, the Bristol Zoo and the Talarak Foundation,” Cabrera said. “They provide us with technical expertise on how to manage animal welfare.”
Cabrera said that the public often overlooks the risk of ASF because “outbreaks reported in news channels make it seem far away.”
“Sometimes, we don’t really take the news seriously. We don’t really realize how serious it is [ASF],” Cabrera said.
The Bristol Zoological Society (BZS) is a UK-based wildlife conservation charity, while the Talarak Foundation is a Philippine non-profit organization for endangered endemic wildlife.
SU previously welcomed representatives from BZS on April 20 to strengthen conservation practices and advance technical capacity at CENTROP.
