ANGELES CITY, Pampanga — An endangered Philippine long-tailed macaque was rescued by a resident and turned over to authorities this week, officials announced.

Corazon Antipolo, a resident of Barangay Sapalibutad, voluntarily surrendered the macaque to village officials on 18 July.

The handover was facilitated through the coordinated efforts of the Barangay Sapalibutad Council, led by Chairwoman Cristina V. Pineda, along with the City Environment and Natural Resources Office and the City Veterinary Office.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 3 stated Wednesday that the Angeles City government received the monkey from the village officials. The city then transferred the endangered animal to the nearest rescue center in Clark, Pampanga for examination and rehabilitation.

The Philippine long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis philippensis) is classified as “endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, primarily due to habitat loss and illegal wildlife trade.

DENR urged the public to report and surrender any rescued or captured wild animals to the agency or local authorities to ensure they receive proper care and handling.