Park rangers, conservationists and researchers are on the hunt for one of the world’s rarest buffaloes—the Philippine tamaraw. The hunt is not to kill, but to save the species from extinction.
Scientifically called Bubalus Mindorensis and also referred to as the Mindoro dwarf buffalo, the Philippine tamaraw once roamed freely on Mindoro Island.
Because of a deadly animal disease outbreak, habitat loss and persistent hunting for its meat and as trophy, its population is on the brink of extinction.
In the early 1900s, around 10,000 of the highly elusive land mammal inhabit the island.
Today it is on the brink of extinction, with slightly over 500 individuals inhabiting the hinterlands of Mounts Iglit-Baco National Park (MIBNP), and a remnant population in at least three other areas on Mindoro Island.
Outside the MIBNP reports of sightings of the iconic land mammal are calling for further studies to help save the species from extinction.
Ongoing search, studies
Neil Anthony del Mundo, Tamaraw Conservation Program (TCP) national coordinator and Protected Area assistant superintendent of the MIBNP, told the BusinessMirror through Messenger on April 10 that there are three ongoing studies in search of the Philippine tamaraw.
These are the Tamaraw Metapopulation Research in Mindoro Island funded by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Foreign Assisted and Special Projects Office led by the TCP; the Tamaraw Dietary Analysis conducted by the Mindoro Biodiversity Conservation Foundation Inc.; and the Mangyan and Tamaraw-Driven Landscape Program being conducted by d’Aboville Foundation.
The Upper Amnay Watershed, Mount Halcon, Mount Gimparay and Mount Calavite are targets of ongoing search because of animal tracks, wallowing area and even feces, which suggest the presence of the tamaraw. These areas were the once safe havens of this elusive land mammal.
Known tamaraw habitats
Emmanuel Schutz of d’Aboville Foundation told the BusinessMirror that they are working on all sites across Mindoro where tamaraw is still present.
He said there are four known locations, including the MIBNP, where the species is limited to an area of less than 2,500 hectares (ha), or approximately less than 3 percent of the park size.
Another area is the Aruyan-Malati region in Sablayan municipality, where a camera trap study suggested the species is restricted to around 300ha with very few animals and not a viable population.
Meanwhile, the Upper Inner Mindoro Range currently assessed across the border of the two provinces in the municipalities of Sablayan and Naujan with above 6,000ha has several dozen animals.
In Mount Calavite Wildlife Sanctuary, the camera trap study being conducted in collaboration with another partner has yet to provide a clue of the existence of the species in 2023.
In the Upper Inner Mindoro Range, Schutz said d’Aboville and the TCB are conducting surveys to assess if the distribution is larger or if other small groups persist in the region.
Human pressure
He explained that human pressure has caused the population of the tamaraw to shrink.
“The species was known to occur on the whole island a century ago but human pressure has fragmented the population leading to isolated few subpopulations,” Schutz said.
Tamaraw populations outside the MIBNP, he said, are remnant sub-populations of former larger ones.
However, he said it is important to understand that the current distribution of the species has little to do with the biology of the animal.
But like any other large mammals on the planet, animals can only be seen in the 21st century where humans allow them to, generally in areas with lower anthropic or human pressure because they are remote, or not productive, or Indigenous people’s lands, he said.
“We hope there are still a few other small populations or groups outside known sites; this is what we are searching for, with TCP. Besides, there is the phenomenon of vagrant animals, generally young males, that disperse and end up outside subpopulations wandering,” Schutz said.
Danger of inbreeding
The existence of a fragmented population on Mount Halcon or any other area outside the MIBNP is raising serious concerns.
“There is a phenomenon called inbreeding, which over time, can prove dangerous to isolated wild animal populations,” explained environmentalist Gregg Yan.
“Inbreeding happens when animals from the same general group keep mating. Over many generations, this limits and erodes their genetic diversity, leading to mutations and difficulty reproducing,” Yan told the BusinessMirrror via Messenger on April 3.
He said such is already happening to the global population of cheetahs, which is estimated to still be 8,000 strong.
“Imagine what inbreeding must [do] to the 600 or so tamaraws left on Planet Earth,” said Yan, an explorer and wildlife photographer who has joined numerous expeditions to find and document wild tamaraws on Mindoro.
“The work being done by park rangers, conservationists and the TCP on Mindoro Island is priceless as new populations can prove to be a goldmine for genetic diversity,” he said, adding that finding the tamaraw is easier said than done.
Search for Tamaraw haven
The tamaraw population on Mount Gimparay, in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, was reported in 2018 following an expedition to verify the presence of the tamaraw in the area.
Rodel Boyles, former TCP National Coordinator and currently the Community Environment and Natural Resource Officer of Socorro, Oriental Mindoro, which has jurisdiction of Naujan, said they are waiting for the TCP to come up with a population count to confirm the presence of the viable population.
“We need to have a verified population count to declare a specific area as a critical habitat for tamaraws,” Boyles told the BusinessMirror on April 3.
He said Mount Gimparay, like MIBNP, needs to be protected to protect the tamaraw.
Meanwhile, the ongoing search in Mount Calavite will boost the plan to relocate a viable population in the area from the MIBNP as part of an ex-situ, or off site, conservation breeding program being eyed by the TCP.
Mount Calavite: A future tamaraw sanctuary
In 2000, Mount Calavite Wildlife Sanctuary was proclaimed as a national park with the passage of Republic Act 11038, or the Expanded National Integrated Protected Area System (E-Nipas).
It has a total area of 18,172.69 ha covering the three barangays of Harrison, Alipaoy and Mananao in Paluan municipality, Occidental Mindoro.
The wildlife sanctuary is being eyed as a potential site for the plan to revive the tamaraw captive-breeding program
Besides tamaraws, Mount Calavite Wildlife Sanctuary is known to harbor a wide range of endemic flora and fauna.
“We also have premium species of dipterocarp trees and we have vast grassland, which is suitable for tamaraw habitat,” Boyles said.
Formerly known as the Calavite Game Refuge in 1920, the Mount Calavite Wildlife Sanctuary harbors the Mindoro hornbill, Mindoro warty pig and a variety of flora and fauna.
There are four river systems on Mount Calavite, which keeps the ecosystem healthy.
Arlene Valencia-Francisco, protected area superintendent of Mount Calavite Wildlife Sanctuary, said that based on a population survey conducted by the TCP in June 2019, there were already sightings of dams or feces and a reported spotting of a juvenile tamaraw as well.
According to Francisco, she welcomes the idea of translocating a viable population on Mount Calavite as a safety measure.
“Since it is a protected area, why not? Translocating a viable population here will help conserve the tamaraw,” Francisco told the BusinessMirror via Zoom on April 12, adding that the serious threats posed by zoonotic diseases that can wipe out entire populations.
She said the DENR continuously works with various stakeholders to educate the community about the importance of Mount Calavite and the tamaraw.
Image credits: Gregg Yan, MCWS/PASu Arlene Francisco
