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'Born to be Wild' Fifth Anniversary Special: The vets are in!
BORN TO BE WILD THE VETS ARE IN 5th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL Airing all Wednesdays of the month, beginning October 10 
In 2007, the first environmental show on Philippine television was born. And after five successful years on the air, BORN TO BE WILD is still the country’s leader in nature and wildlife documentary-making.
In 2007, the first environmental show on Philippine television was born. And after five successful years on the air, BORN TO BE WILD is still the country’s leader in nature and wildlife documentary-making. GMA’s multi-awarded environmental program has reaped recognition in the Philippines and internationally—from New York to the ASEAN—and continues to pioneer new concepts, technologies and filming techniques to give its viewers the best in environmental reportage. The first series of its kind on local TV, BORN TO BE WILD has brought viewers closer to their natural world, and has helped raise awareness on critical environmental issues including current hot topics—mining, water scarcity and deforestation.
Over the years, the Born team has responded to numerous wildlife emergencies, rescue missions, and has contributed to the documentation of many endemic species from all over the country. In Aurora Province, for instance, the Born team helped scientists record the presence of the rare reptile varanus butaan, which had no formal record in the area prior to the team’s filming. The program’s footage of rare and recently discovered species has also been showcased on international news. BORN TO BE WILD has also covered topics from different parts of the globe, from the illegal trade of Asiatic black bears and Asian elephants, to the conservation of the great and ancient sharks of South Africa.
The show’s spin-off series The Born Expeditions has brought viewers a glimpse of rarely seen moments in nature, such as the unforgettable blue whale encounter. And recently, the show added another arm to its advocacy—Born IMPACT (I Make A Promise to ACT), a movement which encourages viewers to pledge their own solutions to help save the environment.
As it reaches its milestone fifth year, BORN TO BE WILD renews its commitment to raising awareness on protecting the environment, with expert veterinarians Doc Nielsen Donato and returning host Doc Ferds Recio.
“Sabang Dragon”
with Doc Ferds Recio
In his comeback series, Doc Ferds Recio returns to the island of Sabang in Palawan, to document the behavior of the monitor lizards in the island. Known to tourists, the area of the Sabang is home to the world famous underground river. But in the same area, wildlife species live together and thrive—monitor lizards, macaques and the endemic Tandikan can be seen. Among these animals, the monitor lizards have a big population. According to local rangers, these monitor lizards seem to form groups—one group in the mangrove area, another in the ranger station, and yet another in the tourist area. Because of the rangers’ familiarity with the giant lizards, they have given names to some of these bayawaks. But more interest arises when a study confirms that these monitor lizards belong to a subspecies which is endemic to the Philippines and can only be found in this area of the world—the Varanus Palawanensis.
“Cobra Country”
with Doc Nieslen Donato
The province of Bukidnon is known for having the largest pineapple plantations in the country. But residents fear for their lives with three species of cobras present the area. The Philippine Cobra, the Samar Cobra and the King Cobra, three of the most venomous snake species in the world, threaten the lives of the farmers. While others survive the snake bites, some have died from the venomous attacks. These incidents have caused outrage in some residents, and those who feel threatened end up killing the animal. “Unahan lang ‘yan”, one local would say.
Equipped with safety gears and anti-venin from Thailand, Doc Nielsen Donato travels to Bukidnon to study these species of cobras. He is joined by expert snake handler Matt Yuyek and Rome Brazal of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM). In a previous series, Doc Nielsen was able to extract venom from Philippine Cobras in Bicol; these specimens were used for anti-venin production. But this will be the first time that the wild vet will encounter the Samar Cobra and the deadliest King Cobra. This dangerous mission aims to bring home venom samples that will be used as life-saving anti-venin, and to map out the deadly cobras’ habitat, for future research on tropical medicine.
This October, THE VETS ARE IN.
Don’t miss the fifth anniversary series of Born to be Wild, Wednesdays beginning October 10.
