The Tamaraw: Mindoro's endangered treasure

by danesller0127 | December 1, 2008 at 09:43 am

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Class: Mammalia

Status: Endangered

Only 369 heads in the 1980's

Range: Found only in Mindoro.

The Philippine 'tamaraw' is a small buffalo and is the largest endangered land animal here in the Philippines. It is slightly smaller than the carabao but closely resembling the carabao in all aspects. Its horns grow straight upwards with a "V" form instead of a circular growth as in carabao horn.

It feeds mainly on grasses of various species but cogon grass is most preferred.

The Philippine 'tamaraw' is endangered because of habitat loss and alterations. Over-hunting and collection for trophies have also taken their toll on the 'tamaraw'.

In 19th century, the island of Mindoro, heavily forested and long avoided, because of an especially virulent strain of malaria, was called 'the dark island' by many outsiders. Although it is not far from Manila, it was poorly known in many respects, especially its Fauna and flora.

In 1998, the scientific community was startled by the discovery on the Mindoro rainforest, of the dwarf buffalo, now better known as the 'tamaraw' ( bubalus mindorensis).

One of the most distinctive an seriously endangered mammals in the world the 'tamaraw' of Mindoro island, probably numbers fewer than two hundreds individuals.

Hunting by the local people is a treat to all large mammals in ecoregions, including the 'tamaraw', philippine deer, and Philippine warty pig (sus philippensis), 'babuy damo' as called by the locals. Forestry activities and kaingin (slash-and-burn) agriculture continued to fragment and destroy the remaining habitat.

by Art Fuentes

Apart from the Philippine eagle, perhaps there is only one other animal that can best symbolize the mass extinction of species that is happening here in the Philippines—the Tamaraw. Once found in the thousands in the island of Mindoro in the early 1900s, it is estimated that fewer than 300 survive today.

The reasons for the dramatic decline in the Tamaraw’s population are many. The three most notable factors which led to it are:
1. the introduction of cattle into Mindoro in the early 1900s
2. rampant hunting of the species and
3. the widespread logging that destroyed much of Mindoro’s forests where the Tamaraws live.

In the 1930s, there was an outbreak of the deadly rinderpest disease among the cattle herds in Mindoro. The rinderpest plague eventually spread to the Tamaraws and caused thousands of deaths among them. When the plague subsided, less than a thousand Tamaraws were left.

In the 1960s and 70s, hunters with automatic weapons flew to Mindoro from Manila to hunt Tamaraws for sport.

The Tamaraw extinction was further exacerbated by the rampant destruction of Mindoro’s forests—the natural habitat of the animals. In the 1900s Mindoro had a forest cover of over 80%. By 1988, this was down to around 8%. It was no coincidence that the dramatic decline of Mindoro’s forests was accompanied by the dramatic decline of Tamaraw population.

But the Tamaraw has survived; and with our help it may even thrive. Various efforts are under way to help the Tamaraw regain a healthy population, the most important of which is the restoration of its devastated habitat.

The 'tamaraw' or the dwarf water buffalo, is known to live for about 20 years with an estimate lifespan of about 25 years. the adult female 'tamaraw' give birth to one offspring after a gestation period of about 300 days. there is an interbirth interval of two years, although a female has been sighted with three juveniles. the calf stays for 2-4 years with its mother and then goes on its own.

The largest protected area in Mindoro is Mt. Iglit-Baco National Park, which is one of two ASEAN 'Natural Heritage Sites' in the Philippines, (the other is Mt. Apo National Park on Mindanao island).

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danesller0127

at 11:17 on December 1st, 2008

The Philippines' Rare Breed

John C. Tampo
Philippine Science High School - WVC

An array of the Philippine's rarest and most beautiful breed are hidden in the far-flung rainforests of our islands.

If the city offers no more eye soothing sceneries, our jungles offer more than what your eyes can take.

A hundred, a thousand, or a million years may have passed, but this treasures are still here, unscathed by the assaults of technology and progress.

Or so we think

The Philippines is still fighting the battle of extinction. Its natural resources are rapidly being depleted especially, the endangered species. Our mother nature seems to have a small chance of declaring its independence.

The enemy is within. We may have the best and the biggest gadgets the world has to offer, but without the beauty of nature, all these would be meaningless. Imagine being stuck in a room all day, and finding out that the outside looks almost exactly like the the inside of your room.

Our indifference and laziness, will cause the extinction of our rarest breeds. Our endangered species will never experience the sweetness of home if we don't stop ourselves. Neither will we, if we continue to disregard the need for the protection of nature.

This issue calls for action!

Be aware of how precious these animals are!

We have to stop destroying their homes!

If not us, then who? If not now, when?

We all have a part and we know it.

References: Pictures courtesy of www.haribon.org.ph

pinayunderwaterangel (not verified)

at 16:45 on December 1st, 2008

will do anything to help! glad to have my photo here.

danesller0127

at 09:20 on December 2nd, 2008

Thank you very much! indeed, pinayunderwaterangel2008' Awesome picture! ...is that you on the carabao, with a friend? Regards!!! :)

TOLZ

at 18:14 on December 1st, 2008

actually this is just a dummy tamaraw made of carton and wood. I shot this during the Sinulog festival here in Cebu =)

TOLZ has contributed a photo to this story.

danesller0127

at 09:02 on December 2nd, 2008

Kabayan, TOLZ' I'm happy for adding your beautiful photo in my article, actually, the 'Sinulog' festival in Cebu is one of the grandest, most distinguished and most colourful events in the Philippines. Anything related to this story, is invited...photos or videos.

Daghan salamat!!! :)

Uwe Paschen

at 19:55 on December 1st, 2008

I had no idea it was? That is one of our Domestic Creature that have serve Humanity the most through out the past couple of thousand years.

How arrogant have we become as a specie to allow this.

danesller0127

at 08:42 on December 2nd, 2008

Yes, indeed! Pachen san'...

The water bufallo or 'carabao', the pig, the cat, and the dog are genrally believed to have entered the Philippines in prehistoric times, while the cow, the sheep, the goat, and the horse were introduce by early Spaniards. The 'tamaraw' (anoan mindorensis), a type of small, wild water bufallo found only in Mindoro Island appears to be a unique Philippine animal. Its ancestor was related to the 'carabao', its diminutive size is owed to its insular isolation. The rarest Philippine animal is the seldom-seen bushy-tailed "cloud rat" that inhabits the mountains of Northern Luzon, Mindoro and Marinduque.

Thanks again, for the rated "R", much appriciated. :)

caint

at 23:46 on December 1st, 2008

The pictures with the title "Tamaraw fx" of TOLZ and "riding a Tamaraw cart" of pinayunderwaterangel are not pictures of Tamaraws.

Sorry guys. But they are Carabaos. They are domesticated farm animals.

Tamaraws have a V-shaped horns, while the Carabaos have a U-shaped horns.

And one thing, I have never heard of a domesticated Tamaraw. Tamaraws cannot be domesticated because they are so wild. They would either run and hide, or attack when sighted. There are no domesticated Tamaraws in recorded history.

There are only two alive Tamaraws in captivity in the world today. One is Mimi, a female Tamaraw who was rescued in a trap when she was young. And the other one is KALIBASIB, a male Tamaraw and the offsping of Mimi. Sill both Mimi and KALIBASIB are not domesticated animals. They are still very wild and fierce even in captivity.

danesller0127

at 08:30 on December 2nd, 2008

Thanks you very much! caint' for the the additional info... I'm happy for that! About the water buffalo or carabao ('kalabaw' in tagalog) Water bufallo are members of the cattle family and are placed in the genus Bubalus, which includes four living species. Two species, Bubalus bubalis and B. mindorensis are closely related, and the new fossil species appears to be close relative of this pair...

B. bubalis is the well-known domestic water buffalo 'carabao' , B. mindorensis, popularly known as a 'tamaraw'.

Two poorly known species of the genus Bubalus from the Indonesian island Sulawesi, known as 'anoas' are more distanly related. The water bufallo or 'carabao', is also an endangered animal, in the Philippine archaepelago, unless we do something now, The 'carabao' population has steadily dropped since 1998, "We might wake up one day, without a 'carabao' to speaks of, in the farm" warns a farming expert.

The Philippine carabao, is just one of the many breeds of the water buffalo, sometimes known as an 'Asian animal' and first domisticated about 4,500 years ago, in China. or the Indus Valley, perhaps at the same time- and a 'buffalo culture' spread gradually throughout Asiia.

There are two types of water buffaloes; the river and the swamp types. The river type is exemplified by the Indian and sub-continent breeds. it is considered under the dairy category because it producing high genetic capacity for milk production. The 'carabao' is the national symbol of the Philippines.

Maraming salamat, din sa mga Kabayan, na nagsikap na makadagdag ng information tungkol sa Philippine 'Vanishing Treasures'. or endangered species, na isa ang Pilipinas, na may pinakamaraming klasi nito (world's rarest animal and marine forms), na napakahalaga din malaman ng madla, di lang sa atin sa Pinas, kundi pati na sa buong mundo.

Mabuhay!!! :)