KEEP Keepers of Extreme Exotics Philippines

ith promoting legal and responsible exotics keeping. Seeing that many Filipinos have gone underground just to satisfy their whetting in caring for unusual pets, which the government and unenlightened people fear would wreak havoc in displacing native species, KEEP took the challenge to be legal and come out in the open under broad daylight. Under Republic Act 9147, or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, KEEP consulted with the DENR and its respective bureaus on how to legalize the keeping of exotic pets. Led by Sir Vix Panugayan, members learned how to untangle the thorns and demystify the registration of their beloved pets. Time and again, members checked on the DENR and its Biodiversity Management Bureau, painstakingly bringing their beloved pets for registration and documentation, and this they do every time they are engaged in an exhibition event. We spare no boundaries just to present to the public that exotic pets should not be feared and we can learn, appreciate, and have fun with keeping them without fear. The Keepers of Extreme Exotics Philippines wanted to remind the whole world, Filipinos especially, that they have one of the richest natural resources in the world, being included in the very exclusive "17 Megadiverse Countries in the World." This gift should be protected, preserved, and conserved. Lessening the threat to our very own wildlife means our pets should come from legal sources, which were vouched for by the DENR itself. KEEP is dedicated and determined to make the general public and the rest of the world aware that environmental laws should be faithfully adhered to to ensure the safety of the animals and plants in their respective native habitats as well as create generations of responsible pet keepers. Life in all its forms should be respected and protected because they occupy their own respective niches in maintaining the balance of our one and only planet, Mother Earth.