COJ Donates Turtles

Nobody knows how old they are nor what their names are; they change each year at the students' whim.  What we DO know is that the turtles, school pets for time immemorial, were getting too big for their homes.

So during a fieldtrip, the Kinder students of Teacher Noelle donated the two turtles together with a giant snapping turtle that was swept away and found at the Ligaya ng Panginoon's premises after Typhoon Ondoy.  The three turtles were received at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau at the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center by Dr. Popoy De Jesus.

Dr. Popoy explained that the Red-eared Slider Turtles (Trachemys Scripta), commonly sold as house pets,  were not endemic to the Philippines.  He further explained that they were actually threats to the country's local variety since they are more aggressive than the endemic species.

Sad as it was to part with our long-time pets, we know that they are in very good hands.  Kudos to the kids for being good stewards!

Kinder students turn over one of the turtles to Dr. Popoy.