GMA News Online Public Affairs » Born to be Wild

BORN TO BE WILD
“Blue Hole” and “Venom Extraction” series
Airing date: February 15, 2012

 

Last week, Doc Nielsen Donato’s team headed to Camarines Sur to catch Philippine
cobras for venom extraction. The venom will be used for the production of anti-venin by
the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) which is currently out of stock for
these life-saving ampoules. Doc Nielsen and a team of extractors collected five cobras
on their first day. But the challenge doesn’t stop there. After securing the cobras, they
now need to prepare these venomous snakes for extraction. Proper handling of cobras is
important not only to ensure that venom will be properly extracted but also to guarantee
the team’s safety. But not yet a milliliter of venom was extracted when a cobra suddenly
spit venom in front of the team. Watch out for the second part of the Venom Extraction
series.


 

Meanwhile, Kiko Rustia continues to discover the blue hole of Romblon. On day one, he
and his team were welcomed by unfriendly waves and the first dive had to be aborted.
But this did not stop the team from pursuing their goal—to confirm if indeed a blue hole
exists in the Province of Romblon. Their second day was greeted by calmer waters and
good diving weather. Kiko and the team plunge into the opportunity. Underwater, the
team reaches a big and deep opening on the ocean floor. Is this the mouth of the blue
hole? Find out this Wednesday as the Blue Hole series continues on Born to be Wild,
after Saksi.