DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/ 10 December) – A wildlife expert from the University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB) died on Saturday evening while doing a research work in Mt. Apo, Police Regional Office (PRO) 12 spokesperson Supt. Aldrin Gonzalez said.
He said James de Villa Alvarez, a wildlife biologist and resident of San Isidro Itaas, Lemery in Batangas, trekked the country’s highest peak along with a team of fellow researchers on December 5 to conduct a research on the herpetofauna (reptiles and amphibians) of the country’s highest peak.
He said the 27-year old Alvarez, a graduate of BS Biology of the UPLB, suffered nausea and had difficulty breathing at 11pm of December 7 in Lake Venado, prompting his companions to bring him down to Camp Koong where they waited for the rescuers.
He said Alvarez continued to vomit the following day, Saturday, at 10pm, became unconscious and showed no sign of life just before rescuers from Central 911 and Philippine Red Cross arrived.
His body was brought to Mandarangan Trail in Barangay Ilomavis in Kidapawan City and then to St. Peter Funeral Homes for a post-mortem examination. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)
