Removal of Philippines’ beloved ‘sherpa cat’ Pugal sparks heated debate

The removal of a beloved cat regularly seen roaming the hiking trails of one of the Philippines’ highest peaks has sparked heated online debate between advocates of animal welfare and wildlife conservation.

The affectionate feral cat, named Pugal, gained online celebrity status after photos circulated of it cosying up to hikers and even entering campsites on Mount Pulag in northern Philippines, the country’s third-highest summit.

However, environmental authorities confirmed that the animal was removed from the area, a declared protected landscape due to its biodiversity.

“Pugal is now being taken care of by one of our Pulag Protected Area Management Office (PAMO) staff. A veterinarian is being sent to check on the cat,” the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said on its Facebook page last Sunday.

The department’s actions followed a post by a popular local outlet called the Cordillera Sun, which referred to Pulag as “an invasive predator that needs to be removed from the area”.

“Is it cute and adorable? Yes. But it’s also an unwanted predator. It’s an invasive species that hunts down native and endemic wildlife that live within the Mount Pulag Protected Landscape. These include birds, small mammals like cloud rats, and small reptiles,” it wrote.