By Laarni S. Ilagan
Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO) lineman Reagan Acdong turned-over a Philippine Scops Owl (Otis megalotis) to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Cordillera Administrative Region (DENR-CAR), on January 17.
Acdong officially handed the owl over to Jasper Oligo, DENR-CAR’s Wildlife and Rescue Officer at their office in Baguio City after caring for it for two weeks.
The baby owl still with its cottony tufts of soft downy feathers still starting to turn into harder feathers and could not yet fly, was rescued last January 3, 2025 by BENECO linemen J1 crew of BENECO.
The heavy maintenance team linemen were conducting a scheduled retirement of idle wooden creosoted pole behind the wooded area at the Baguio Convention Center.
Acdong is part of the J1 team. “We initially noticed that the tip of the pole was deeply hollowed. Baka adda billit dita (there might be a bird inside) kuna ni boss Rufo Madilat,” Acdong recalled.
Madilat’s suspicion proved prophetic when the pole fell after the crew cut the pole with chainsaw, the baby owl came out of its hollowed tip. Acdong cared for it for two weeks and fed the owl with rodents, lizards and insects.
He said he initially thought of releasing the baby owl at the area where it was rescued for the mother to come back and care for, but decided otherwise when he noticed it was still struggling to fly on its own.
He also noticed the presence of cats that could prey on the vulnerable owl. While in his care he noticed the fast development of the owl’s wings and taught it to fly. “Wild life like this owl, that our crew usually encounter in the course of their work, were mostly sadly electrocuted.
In my 20-years in BENECO as lineman and eventually as Construction and Maintenance Officer (CMO), this is a first live rescued wild life,” Engr Percival Aspillan said.
According to Oligo, the owl could be 2-3 months old left alone by the mother that may have judged its youngling capable of surviving alone. It may also have been stressed by the chainsaw’s loud sound.
Oligo lauded Acdong’s care for the baby owl and decision to turn-over to their office. Though he said that if in the future BENECO crew again rescue wild life, away from the city, they can immediately release them in the forest or vicinity they encountered them. Oligo assured Acdong that he will be releasing the owl this afternoon in a heavily forested area, its natural habitat.
