BUTUAN City- A forester of the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources in Caraga region died after some 200 giant hornets, attacked him and his two companions Monday July 22 at the mine site of Agata Mining Company in Sitio Payong-Payong, Barangay Tinigbasan, Tubay Agusan del Norte.
The hornets sting giant flying insects that look like a bee but belong to the Wasp family whose bites are very painful.
DENR-Caraga OIC Regional Executive Director Hadja Didaw D. Piang-Brahim identified the victim as Forester Barlo Aparte, 60, married and was assigned at the CENRO office in Tubay town.
Sixty years old Aparte who was already planning to retire was with two other younger DENR foresters when the stinging giant hornets attacked them when they accidentally passed that may have caused disturbance of the hornets’ dwelling in the forested area.
Aparte’s two younger companions managed to run as fast as they could but Aparte who was left behind sustained 40 painful bites from the stinging insects that belonged to the WASP family of stinging insects and the biggest in size among WASP flying insects.
According to DENR-Caraga information officer Eric Gallego, Aparte and two other DENR-Caraga foresters were conducting evaluation and monitoring at the forested areas of the mining site under the MPSA of Villar owned Agata Mining Company.
They also responded to reports of illegal logging activities in the area.
Gallego said the new DENR Caraga Executive Director has instructed her men to assist the surviving and bereaved family of the victim.
