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Showing posts with label Mindoro Animals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mindoro Animals. Show all posts
9 Mindoro animals join nature red list
Posted On Friday, January 7, 2011 at at 4:14 AM by AdminNine species of animals endemic to Mindoro island, including the tamaraw, are now on the endangered list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Placed on the endangered list posted on the IUCN website are the tamaraw (Bubalus Mindorensis), four bird species, three species of rats, and a crustacean.
From its endangered status in 1986, the tamaraw has been listed as “critically endangered.” It is now only found in Mount Iglit-Baco National Park, Mount Aruyan in Sablayan town, and Mount Calavite Tamaraw Preserve.
Listed as endangered birds are the Mindoro imperial pigeon (Ducula Mindorensis), Mindoro Bleeding-heart (Gallicolumba Platenae), Mindoro Scops owl (Otus Mindorensis), and Mindoro Hornbill (Penelopides Mindorensis).
The rat species included in the list are the Mindoro Soft-furred Rat (Rattus Mindorensis), Mindoro Climbing Rat (Anonymomys Mindorensis), and the Large Mindoro Forest Mouse (Apomys Gracilirostris).
The crustacean Parathelphusa Mindoro is listed as “data deficient” because of lack of information on its population, ecological requirement, and long-term threats.
IUCN said the most significant threats to these species are forest destruction and hunting.
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Mindoro Tarictic Hornbill
Posted On Saturday, October 4, 2008 at at 8:23 PM by Admin
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Tarictics are hornbills, large mystifying birds with distinctly shaped bills belonging to the family Bucerotidae.
There are four similar kinds of hornbills in the Philippines belonging to the genus Penelopides, but these species do not look exactly alike and live geographically apart.
Where does the Mindoro Tarictic live?
About a hundred years ago, the Mindoro Tarictic was abundantly found in lowland areas, and even during the 1970’s they have been reportedly seen in flocks of up to 50 individuals.
These numbers have been rapidly declining, and reports say it is now rare to see them in flocks of seven.
What makes survival difficult for these birds? First of all, the forest, their home, is shrinking. Everyday it gets smaller and smaller due to logging and land conversion for agriculture. Secondly, they are hunted for food. Because of their size and visibility, they are easy shooting targets. Now, the Mindoro Tarictic is sighted in a few lowland primary forests, forest edges, or secondary growth forests.
The Tarictics have also been seen in isolated woodlots and even in single fruiting trees in cultivated areas, but prefer closed canopy forests. They are rarely seen beyond 1,000 meters above sea level unless they are disturbed by human activities in the lowlands. Although they have been seen to feed in forest edges, hornbills by nature are arboreal and very dependent on large forest trees, living and feeding off the upperstorey or canopy of a forest.
The Mindoro Tarictic has been classified as an Endangered species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This means that it is at a very high risk of extinction, and unless something is done to save them, the Tarictics of Mindoro will be gone in the next 20 years.
Besides their aesthetic value and their right to life, Tarictics play an important role in forest regeneration as they disperse the seeds of the fruit trees that they feed on. They are part of the intricate web of forest life, from which our human needs such as water, food and shelter can be traced back to.
Besides their aesthetic value and their right to life, Tarictics play an important role in forest regeneration as they disperse the seeds of the fruit trees that they feed on. They are part of the intricate web of forest life, from which our human needs such as water, food and shelter can be traced back to.
Several groups in Panay and Negros Islands have worked over the years to be able to save their Tarictics. There are existing facilities for rescue and captive breeding, and ongoing research on how to stabilize the population of the Visayan Tarictics. Unfortunately, there have not been the same conservation efforts specific for its kin in Mindoro.
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What is life like for this bird?
Mindoro Tarictics forage for food either alone or in groups, and sometimes even with other birds such as the Green Imperial-pigeon and the Coleto. Usually there is a lookout among the group who will first scout the area for predators before the rest of the group perches on the food tree.
Its diet includes carbohydrate-rich figs, lipid-rich drupes and capsules and other watery fruits. These include fruits of the Balete, Dao, Is-is, Igyo, Malugai, Kalumpit, Tuai, and Duguan trees. An insect or small animal may occasionally spice up its meal. It is fascinating to watch hornbills eat, as they peck at the food, place this at the tip of their bills, then toss it before swallowing. If the food bit is too big to swallow, they will chew on this, place it again at the tip of their bill, then toss back to their throat.
Unlike other birds, the nest of a hornbill is a cozy cavity high up in the trunk of a large tree. Biologists believe they breed around the months of April and May.
It is sad to note that when a foraging male Tarictic is caught or killed, its female partner also dies of starvation. The females do not leave their nestholes during breeding season and are highly dependent on their male partners to bring home food. Biologists also observe that fidelity is a trait among Tarictics.
What can be done?
The greatest threats to the flying foxes are habitat loss, disturbance of roosting area, and hunting for food and for trade. Air guns, shotguns, slingshots, thorny vines, nets and tree snares are used to catch them, but the most destructive of these are nets, since juveniles and those in pregnancy get caught as well. Statistics estimate that a seasoned hunter can bag as many as 50 flying foxes per month!
Studies such as population counts and monitoring have been effective at estimating remaining numbers and rate of decline of this species. However, more research is urgently needed if we are to stop the extinction of flying foxes. There is still very little known information about their habitat, foraging range, roosting behavior, diet and natural history. Researches on this would greatly help conservationists assess how the species can be saved.
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Marks and colors of a Mindoro Tarictic
- Head, neck and underparts - yellowish white
- Ear coverts and band across throat - black
- Upperparts, upper tail-coverts and wings - black with metallic green sheen
- Tail - brick red with black tips
- Bill - wide and hooked (casque), black with yellow tip and yellow stripes across upper mandible (stripes become more developed with age)
- Eyes - reddish brown
- Legs and feet - dark brown
Artwork by Oscar M. Figuracion
Photo of tarictic feeding tree by Jennifer Dimas
Photo of captured tarictic by Michael Edrial
Tamaraws no longer on brink of extinction, say conservationists
Posted On Friday, October 3, 2008 at at 3:47 AM by Admin
MANILA, Philippines — The tamaraw, the Philippines’ flagship species found only in the island of Mindoro, is now out of danger from extinction, officials say.
Dr. Arnel del Barrio, director of the Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Carabao Center (DA-PCC), said that from 2001-2008, the tamaraw population has increased yearly by an average of 10 percent.
Reporting on the findings of the latest tamaraw expedition by government and private entities, including students from the Far Eastern University (FEU), last April, Del Barrio said the tamaraw population was counted at 263 this year compared to only 175 heads in 2001.
“The calving rate estimated by number of yearlings is considerably high... (which could mean that) more than 55 percent of the Tamaraws are giving birth," Del Barrio reported during the Third Tamaraw Forum at the FEU Conference Center in Manila on Friday.
The expedition was organized by the Tamaraw Conservation Program (TCP) at the Mt. Iglit-Baco National Park in Mindoro Occidental
In another bit of good news, the TCP figure was considered conservative by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
DENR Undersecretary Manuel Gerochi said a “systematic counting" conducted by the department’s field personnel in all possible tamaraw habitats on the island estimated the tamaraw population to be more than 1,000.
“The figures of the TCP are based on actual, visual counting; and done only in one area, Mt. Iglit-Baco," Gerochi said in the same forum.
The TCP and DENR attributed the increase in the tamaraw population to continuing initiatives to raise awareness regarding the significance of the species and its preservation by national and local government, as well as the private sectors.
Through the tamaraw awareness campaign, the island’s native Mangyan dwellers stopped their tradition of killing the animal for its blood, which the tribesmen consider as a source of strength and good health.
Known to scientists as the Bubalus mindorensis or Mindoro dwarf buffalo, the tamaraw population was estimated at 10,000 during the 1900s, when the island was unpopulated due to malaria.
But the population of the animal started to decline with the eventual increase in human activity and the occurrence of diseases, starting in 1930 with the outbreak of rinderpest, a viral disease mostly affecting cattle.
In 1953, the estimated tamaraw population was placed at around 200, slipping to only about 100 in the 1960s when the animal’s range was reduced to three areas: Mount Iglit, Mount Calavite and areas near the Sablayon Penal Settlement.
Haribon Foundation also noted the introduction of cattle into Mindoro in the early 1900s, rampant hunting of the species and the widespread logging that destroyed much of Mindoro’s forests where the Tamaraws live as among the major causes of the decline in tamaraw population.
Concerns over the deteriorating population of the tamaraw were elevated in a conference of the International Union for the Conservation of Species (IUCS) in Bangkok, Thailand; resulted in the establishment of a 280-hectare gene pool farm in Rizal municipality of Mindoro Occidental.
Captive breeding
Breeding the tamaraws in captivity, however, was found to be ineffectual. Only four births were recorded from 1990 to1997, and all four calves did not live long.
Learning from experience, the government shifted focus on improving actual habitat conditions and educating the local populace.
Gerochi said that tamaraws “should be somehow isolated from human population" and must be allowed to roam freely, as incidents of suicide or self-inflicted harm have been noted from tamaraws that were held in the gene pool farm.
“The tamaraws should be somehow isolated from human population so we need to know their real habitat during its highest population," Gerochi said.
“Breeding in captivity might not be good, same as what happened with our experience with the Philippine eagle," he said.
He said captive-bred Philippine eagle encountered difficulties when they were released in the wild.
“It seemed that if we restrict them or these animals, we lose the glory of that species," Gerochi said.
Carabao's cousin
Tamaraws are usually mistaken as carabaos, but scientists say it differs in several aspects.
Dr. Antonio Manila, assistant director of the DENR-Protected Areas Wildlife and Bureau (PAWB), said that tamaraws are smaller and darker in color than carabaos. He also said that tamaraws have shorter tail and have V-shaped horns, unlike the carabao’s which are large and C-shaped.
A mature tamaraw stands at only about three feet high at the shoulder and weighs 300 kilograms.
Unlike the domesticated carabao, the tamaraw is wild and fierce that if cornered or disturbed in its natural habitat, it will attack and pursue the intruder relentlessly.
“The indigenous Mangyans of Mindoro rightly respect the tamaraw and keep their distance from it," says researcher Art Fuentes in the Haribon Foundation’s Web site (http://www.haribon.org.ph).
Gerochi stressed that extensive reforestation might be the key to accelerate the propagation of the tamaraws, which are found only in the mountainous portions of Mt. Iglit-Baco National Park, Mt. Calavite, Mt. Halcon-Eagle Pass, Mt. Aruyan-Sablayan-Mapalad Valley, and Mt. Bansud-Bongabong-Mansalay.
“The current sanctuary is big enough, I think. So, really it is the preservation of their habitat, which should be undertaken," he said.
In 2002, by virtue of Presidential Proclamation 273, the governmentset the month of October as a “Special Month for the Conservation and Protection of the Tamaraw in Mindoro," emphasizing the need for more intense effort to protect, conserve, and eventually perpetuate one of the country’s flagship species and national pride. GMANews.TV
Dr. Arnel del Barrio, director of the Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Carabao Center (DA-PCC), said that from 2001-2008, the tamaraw population has increased yearly by an average of 10 percent.
Reporting on the findings of the latest tamaraw expedition by government and private entities, including students from the Far Eastern University (FEU), last April, Del Barrio said the tamaraw population was counted at 263 this year compared to only 175 heads in 2001.
“The calving rate estimated by number of yearlings is considerably high... (which could mean that) more than 55 percent of the Tamaraws are giving birth," Del Barrio reported during the Third Tamaraw Forum at the FEU Conference Center in Manila on Friday.
The expedition was organized by the Tamaraw Conservation Program (TCP) at the Mt. Iglit-Baco National Park in Mindoro Occidental
In another bit of good news, the TCP figure was considered conservative by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
DENR Undersecretary Manuel Gerochi said a “systematic counting" conducted by the department’s field personnel in all possible tamaraw habitats on the island estimated the tamaraw population to be more than 1,000.
“The figures of the TCP are based on actual, visual counting; and done only in one area, Mt. Iglit-Baco," Gerochi said in the same forum.
The TCP and DENR attributed the increase in the tamaraw population to continuing initiatives to raise awareness regarding the significance of the species and its preservation by national and local government, as well as the private sectors.
Through the tamaraw awareness campaign, the island’s native Mangyan dwellers stopped their tradition of killing the animal for its blood, which the tribesmen consider as a source of strength and good health.
Known to scientists as the Bubalus mindorensis or Mindoro dwarf buffalo, the tamaraw population was estimated at 10,000 during the 1900s, when the island was unpopulated due to malaria.
But the population of the animal started to decline with the eventual increase in human activity and the occurrence of diseases, starting in 1930 with the outbreak of rinderpest, a viral disease mostly affecting cattle.
In 1953, the estimated tamaraw population was placed at around 200, slipping to only about 100 in the 1960s when the animal’s range was reduced to three areas: Mount Iglit, Mount Calavite and areas near the Sablayon Penal Settlement.
Haribon Foundation also noted the introduction of cattle into Mindoro in the early 1900s, rampant hunting of the species and the widespread logging that destroyed much of Mindoro’s forests where the Tamaraws live as among the major causes of the decline in tamaraw population.
Concerns over the deteriorating population of the tamaraw were elevated in a conference of the International Union for the Conservation of Species (IUCS) in Bangkok, Thailand; resulted in the establishment of a 280-hectare gene pool farm in Rizal municipality of Mindoro Occidental.
Captive breeding
Breeding the tamaraws in captivity, however, was found to be ineffectual. Only four births were recorded from 1990 to1997, and all four calves did not live long.
Learning from experience, the government shifted focus on improving actual habitat conditions and educating the local populace.
Gerochi said that tamaraws “should be somehow isolated from human population" and must be allowed to roam freely, as incidents of suicide or self-inflicted harm have been noted from tamaraws that were held in the gene pool farm.
“The tamaraws should be somehow isolated from human population so we need to know their real habitat during its highest population," Gerochi said.
“Breeding in captivity might not be good, same as what happened with our experience with the Philippine eagle," he said.
He said captive-bred Philippine eagle encountered difficulties when they were released in the wild.
“It seemed that if we restrict them or these animals, we lose the glory of that species," Gerochi said.
Carabao's cousin
Tamaraws are usually mistaken as carabaos, but scientists say it differs in several aspects.
Dr. Antonio Manila, assistant director of the DENR-Protected Areas Wildlife and Bureau (PAWB), said that tamaraws are smaller and darker in color than carabaos. He also said that tamaraws have shorter tail and have V-shaped horns, unlike the carabao’s which are large and C-shaped.
A mature tamaraw stands at only about three feet high at the shoulder and weighs 300 kilograms.
Unlike the domesticated carabao, the tamaraw is wild and fierce that if cornered or disturbed in its natural habitat, it will attack and pursue the intruder relentlessly.
“The indigenous Mangyans of Mindoro rightly respect the tamaraw and keep their distance from it," says researcher Art Fuentes in the Haribon Foundation’s Web site (http://www.haribon.org.ph).
Gerochi stressed that extensive reforestation might be the key to accelerate the propagation of the tamaraws, which are found only in the mountainous portions of Mt. Iglit-Baco National Park, Mt. Calavite, Mt. Halcon-Eagle Pass, Mt. Aruyan-Sablayan-Mapalad Valley, and Mt. Bansud-Bongabong-Mansalay.
“The current sanctuary is big enough, I think. So, really it is the preservation of their habitat, which should be undertaken," he said.
In 2002, by virtue of Presidential Proclamation 273, the governmentset the month of October as a “Special Month for the Conservation and Protection of the Tamaraw in Mindoro," emphasizing the need for more intense effort to protect, conserve, and eventually perpetuate one of the country’s flagship species and national pride. GMANews.TV
Mindoro Boobook (Mindoro Hawk-Owl)
Posted On Wednesday, October 1, 2008 at at 11:53 PM by Admin
Mindoro Scops Owl / Otus mindorensisThe Mindoro Bleeding Heart
Posted On at at 11:52 PM by AdminBleeding-heart is a pigeon, so called because of a distinct red or orange marking on its breast that looks like it is bleeding. It may be Mother Nature’s sense of humor that stained these birds with target shooting marks, but these awesome patches make them special from all other colorful birds. The distinct patch slightly varies in shape and color among species of Bleeding-hearts.
For the Mindoro Bleeding-heart, it is orange and relatively elongated.
Unlike many birds, the males and females of this species look the same.
Found only in Mindoro, a 9,826-square kilometer island southwest of mainland Luzon, the Mindoro Bleeding-heart is known as Kulo-kulo to the Mangyans, the indigenous peoples living in Mindoro’s forests. The bird also goes by the local names La-do, Manatad, Manuk-manuk, Punay, and Puñalada. Although similar in habits to its cousin the Common Emerald-dove (Chalcophaps indica), its calls and appearance are different.
Mindoro Bleeding Heart
Posted On at at 11:43 PM by Admin
Justification This species has an extremely small, severely fragmented population which is undergoing a continuing decline owing to lowland forest destruction, combined with hunting and trade. For these reasons it is listed as Critically Endangered.
Family/Sub-family Columbidae
Species name author (Salvadori, 1891)
Taxonomic source(s) Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)
Identification 30 cm. Medium-sized, short-tailed, ground-dwelling pigeon. Small, bright orange central patch to otherwise white underparts. Dark grey crown, nape, upper mantle and breast-sides, glossed iridescent green. Dark chestnut rest of upperparts, glossed reddish-purple. Large, greyish-white tips to lesser and median wing-coverts. Grey tail and uppertail-coverts, latter with darker subterminal band and paler tip. Legs red. Voice Undocumented. Hints Feeds on the forest floor. Shy, tends to run from danger, typically only flying short distances when flushed.
Population estimate
50-249
Population trend
Population trend
decreasing
Range estimate (breeding/resident)
Range estimate (breeding/resident)
10,000 km2
Country endemic?
Country endemic?
Range & population Gallicolumba platenae is endemic to the island of Mindoro in the Philippines, where it is known from 15 localities. Since 1980, there have been records from just four localities (Puerto Galera, MUFRC Experimental Forest, Siburan and Mt Iglit-Baco National Park), with unconfirmed local reports from eight other localities, suggesting that remnant populations conceivably exist elsewhere. It was common in the early 20th century and apparently locally common as recently as 1954. It was last recorded in 1991 from Sablayan. Subsequently, unconfirmed reports suggested it was common in the recent past in the extreme south of the island. However, the paucity of reports from hunters and very low encounter rate by fieldworkers suggests that numbers have become very low.
Ecology: This predominantly terrestrial pigeon inhabits closed-canopy primary and secondary lowland forest, preferring dry forest substrates on gentle slopes up to 750 m. It is not known whether or not it undertakes altitudinal, seasonal or nomadic movements. It has been recorded breeding in May.
Threats Lowland forest destruction has eradicated almost all of this bird's habitat. In 1988, just 120 km2 of forest remained on Mindoro, only 25% of which was closed-canopy. At current rates of loss, the island may lose all primary forest below 900 m within a few years. The forests at Siburan and Mt Iglit-Baco National Park are threatened by encroaching shifting cultivation and occasional selective logging. Rattan collection further disturbs the forest undergrowth. Dynamite-blasting for marble is a threat to forest at Puerto Galera. Hunting (using snares) for food and collection for the pet trade are additional threats, particularly during the dry season (February-May).
Conservation measures underway It occurs in Mt Iglit-Baco National Park, where only tiny forest tracts remain. The forest at Siburan is effectively part of the Sablayan Penal Colony, although it is uncertain how much protection is afforded by this, or its inclusion in the F. B. Harrison Game Reserve. Haribon have been working at the site for over five years and have established a site support group. Funding has been provided for faunal inventories and environmental education initiatives at Puerto Galera, where hunting has been locally prohibited. In the mid-1990s, the species featured on a bilingual environmental awareness poster in the "Only in the Philippines" series.
Conservation measures proposed Urgently produce a detailed map of remaining forests on Mindoro, and survey these systematically to clarify its current distribution and population status. Follow up any anecdotal reports of the species. Conduct ecological studies to assess its requirements for breeding and foraging. Produce a management plan for the forest at Siburan that reconciles biodiversity conservation with its role as a prison. Strengthen and support forest management by the Site Support Group at Siburan.
Source here
The Tamaraw
Posted On Tuesday, September 2, 2008 at at 3:18 AM by Admin
The Tamaraw (Bubalus mindorensis) or Mindoro Dwarf Buffalo is a small hoofed mammal belonging to the family Bovidae. It is endemic to the island of Mindoro in the Philippines and is the only endemic Philippine bovine. It is believed, however, to have once also thrived on the greater island of Luzon. The tamaraw was originally found all over Mindoro, from sea level up to the mountains (2000 meters above sea level), but because of human habitation, hunting, and logging, it is now restricted to only a few remote grassy plains and is now an endangered species.Contrary to common belief and past classification, the tamaraw is not a subspecies of the local carabao, which is only slightly larger, or the common Water buffalo. In contrast to the carabao, it has a number of distinguishing characteristics: it is slightly hairier, has light markings on its face, is not gregarious, and has shorter horns that are somewhat V-shaped. It is the largest native terrestrial mammal in the country.
The tamaraw was first documented in 1888 on the island of Mindoro. Before 1900, Mindoro was unpopulated due to malaria. However as anti-malarial medicine was developed, more people settled on the island. This increase in human activity has drastically reduced tamaraw population. By 1966 the tamaraw's range was reduced to three areas: Mount Iglit, Mount Calavite and areas near the Sablayan Penal Settlement. By 2000, their range was further reduced to only two areas: the Mounts Iglit-Baco National Park and Aruyan.Initial estimates of the Bubalus mindorensis population on Mindoro was placed at around 10,000 individuals in the early 1900s. Less than fifty years later in 1949, the population had dwindled to around a thousand individuals. By 1953, fewer than 250 animals were estimated to be alive. These population estimates continually grew smaller until the IUCN publication of their 1969 Red Data Book, where the tamaraw population was noted to be an alarmingly low 100 heads. This head count rose to 120 animals in 1975. Current estimates place the wild tamaraw population from thirty to two hundred individuals.
CONSERVATION
Being an entirely endemic and rare land mammal, Bubalus mindorensis stands as an extremely vulnerable species. Currently, it is classified as a critically endangered species and has been so since 2000 by the IUCN on its IUCN Red List of endangered species. Awareness of the conservation status of Bubalus mindorensis began way back in 1965 when it was classified as Status inadequately known by the IUCN. Enough data was gathered on the tamaraw population by 1986, and the IUCN conservation monitoring center declared the species endangered.
Throughout succeeding surveys conducted in 1988, 1990, 1994 and 1996, the species remained listed on the Red List as endangered. The relisting of the species in 1996 fulfilled the IUCN criteria B1+2c and D1. Criterion B1 indicated that the species' range was less than 500 square kilometers and is known to exist in less than five independent locations. A noticed continuing decline in the population fulfilled sub-criterion 2c, given the condition of the population's sole habitat. Criterion D1 essentially required that a population be composed of less than 250 mature individuals; individual counts of the B. mindorensis population at the time figured significantly lower than this. In 2000, the tamaraw was relisted on the Red List under the more severe C1 criteria. This was due to estimates that the population would decline by 20% in five years or within the timespan of two generations.
Many factors have contributed to the decline of the tamaraw population. Over the course of the century, the increase of the human population on Mindoro has exposed the island's sole tamaraw population to severe anthropogenic pressures. In the 1930s, the introduction of non-native cattle on the island caused a severe rinderpest epidemic among the tamaraw population then-umbering in the thousands. Hunting of tamaraws for food and sustenance has also taken a toll on the species' numbers. The most major factor threatening survival of B. mindorensis is habitat loss due to infrastructure development, logging and agriculture. These factors reduced the population of thousands during the early 1900s to less than 300 individuals in 2007.
Due to the decline of the B. mindorensis population, various Philippine laws and organizations have been created towards the conservation of the species. In 1936, Commonwealth Act No. 73 was enacted by the then-Philippine Commonwealth. The act specifically prohibited killing, hunting and even merely wounding tamaraws, with an exception noted for self-defense (if one were to be attacked by an agitated individual) or for scientific purposes. The penalties were harsh enough to include a hefty fine and imprisonment.
In 1979, an executive order was signed creating a committee specifically geared towards the conservation of the tamaraw. The tamaraw was referred to as a "source of national pride" in the said E.O. The Tamaraw Conservation Project was also established in 1979. The organization has successfully bred a tamaraw, nicknamed "Kali", in captivity in 1999. In 2001, Republic Act 9147, or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act was enacted to protect the tamaraw and other endemic species from hunting and sale. During the 1970s, a gene pool was established to preserve the tamaraw's numbers. However, the project was not successful as only one offspring "Kali" was produced. As of today, only Kali and its mother "Mimi" is left in the gene pooling project. The project was also not improved as the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau shown that the tamaraws were already breeding in the wild. Cloning was not implemented for conservation as the Department of Environment and Natural Resource argued that such measures would diminish the genetic diversity of the species.
A small subpopulation of tamaraw has been found within the confines of the Mt. Iglit Game Refuge and Bird Sanctuary on the same island of Mindoro.
As of May 2007, Bubalus mindorensis is on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species where it has been since the species was first put on the list on January 7, 1975. With the listing, CITES recognizes the species as critically endangered and threatened with extinction. Thus, international commercial trade in the species or any derivatives of which, such as the meat, horns or flesh is considered illegal. While commercial trade in the species is prohibited, exchange for non-commercial reasons such as scientific research is allowed.
SOURCE: Wikipedia.org
Styloctenium mindorensis
Posted On Sunday, June 22, 2008 at at 1:27 AM by Admin
This large and charismatic fruit bat species is known only from the Philippine island of Mindoro.
It is only the second known species in the genus; the other species is known only from the Indonesian island of Sulawesi and nearby Togian Islands, and was originally discovered (and named after) Alfred Russell Wallace.
Wallace was a colleague of Charles Darwin and coauthor of their famous paper On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties; and on the Perpetuation of Varieties and Species by Natural Means of Selection.
Among other important contributions, he noted the distinctive faunal break separating Asian and Australian biotas, which is now known as Wallace's Line. Ironically, the new species occurs on the west side of Wallace's Line whereas its sister species is on the east side.
The new species is threatened by habitat loss and hunting. Its discovery highlights an increasing understanding of endemism on Mindoro, and the need for species exploration and conservation.
