The Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau has warned foreign nationals against wildlife hunting in Mindoro, saying it is prohibited in the country and violators could face arrest.

“We would like to categorically state that wildlife hunting in the Philippines is prohibited,” Antonio Manila, PAWB OIC assistant director, said an advisory released Friday.

“Any person who will be found hunting in any part of the Philippines will be dealt with the full force of Republic act 9147 (Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act) and other relevant laws,” Manila said.

Wildlife hunting in the Philippines is a crime punishable by imprisonment of five days up to 12 years and a fine of P200 up to P1 million.

The story “US website offers rare Mindoro forest animals for trophy hunting” published on the Mindoro Post Thursday caused a furor on the social networking site Facebook.

US-based site Adventures411.com is offering a jungle safari on Mindoro island to kill “some native species you simply cannot hunt anywhere else in the world today.”

For a fee of $13,800, it says a trophy hunter has the “privilege” to shoot water buffaloes, forest buffaloes, bearded warty pigs and wild boars.

“Small Jungle Cats are available as possibilities present themselves; including the Black Philippine Jungle Cat, Large Palm Civet Cat and Small Palm Civet Cat,” Adventures411.com said on its website.

“Possibilities for Asian Sambar Deer, Mouse Deer and Saltwater Crocodile exist but collection permits will have to be researched for the time of the planned safari and provided to you before collection,” it said.

For a 20-day extended safari, a hunter can collect five to six trophy species, Adventures411.com said.

But Manila said wildlife hunting is prohibited in the Philippines.

“The activity being promoted in the said web site is illegal,” Manila said. “We are therefore advising the general public, especially the foreign visitors/nationals not to engage in any transaction with (Adventures411.com) involving wildlife hunting in the country.”