#3: VISAYAN WARTY PIG

VISAYAN WARTY PIG

It’s no secret Filipino love to eat pork. One of the major reason why this wild pig known for the 3 pairs of
wart in its appearance has become so rare.

And to confound things up, the pig has as a subspecies the Cebu warty pig. Seems things are looking
bleak for the boar as Cebu is the unofficial lechon capital of the Philippines.

Luckily, breeding programs for the specie are being undertaken in Rotterdam Zoo and San Diego Zoo.

Scientific Name: Suscebifrons

Common Name: Cebu warty pig, Negros warty pig

Habitat: Cebu, Panay, Negros Island

5. Visayan Warty Pig (Sus cebifrons)

This land mammal is also in the IUCN's list of critically endangered species in the Philippines. Once
ubiquitous in the central Philippines, especially in the island of Cebu, the pig can now only be found on
two islands: Panay and Negros. Some experts believe that a small herd may still be located in the island
of Masbate although it is not confirmed. The disappearance of this species on the island of Cebu was not
only brought about by illegal hunting and logging but also agricultural land clearing. The animal's natural
habitats were turned into rice fields to accommodate the growing demand for crops in the region. Now,
small population concentrations of this species are bred in captivity. Some still live in the wild, although
they are very rare, which is why not much is understood about the mammal's natural behavior.

Distinguishing Features

This species is also known by a variety of names among the locals. It is called the Cebu bearded pig,
Baboy Talunon, Bakatin, and Baboy Ilahas, among others. Adult Visayan Warty Pigs can grow up to 100
centimeters (cm) in length. Females can have a maximum shoulder height of 45 cm while males grow up
to 63 cm. Its longest tail length is around 23 cm. Adult females weigh between 20 to 35 kg while adult
males weigh between 35 to 40 kg. Estimates show that the largest adults of this species can weigh up to
80 kg.

The body of this mammal is covered albeit sparsely with bristly hairs. The hairs are usually dark grey in
color for the males and light brown or silvery for the females. The males, especially those found in Panay
Island, grow tufts of hair from their heads down to their necks, which eventually become manes. The
most distinguishing feature of this species is the white stripe that runs along the bridge of their noses all
the way to their mouths.
#2: TAMARAW

Bubalus mindorensis by Gregg Yan

The wild buffalo, a distant cousin of the carabao, has been grazing the land 12,000 years ago, long before
there were any natives to disturb their peace – much less malls.

Today, however, the Tamaraw distinguished by its slightly smaller build and V-shaped horns as compared
to the more docile carabao, holds its final stand in the rugged mountains of Mindoro. They are at the
brink of extinction as only about 350 remain.

Scientific Name: Bubalus mindorensis

Common Name:Tamaraw

Habitat: Mindoro

3. Tamaraw (Bubalus mindorensis)

Also known as the Mindoro dwarf buffalo, the Tamaraw is the only known bovine that is indigenous to
the Philippines. Until the 20th century, the original habitat of this species was essentially intact and
unharmed. They were once found all over Mindoro Island, from the plains up to the mountains. But now
the population has been reduced to about 200, with many being carefully bred in captivity. Another
critically endangered animal according to the IUCN, the main causes of the Tamaraw being on the list of
endangered animals in the Philippines are illegal hunting, logging, and residential land clearing.

Distinguishing Features

The Tamaraw shares a lot of physical traits with other types of bovine. It has a heavyset body, legs that
end in cloven hooves, a short neck, and a horned head. However, unlike the other species included in its
family, this one tends to be smaller and a lot stockier. Males have thicker necks compared to females.

It has an average shoulder height of 39 to 41 inches (in) and can grow up to 7.2 feet in length. The
heaviest Tamaraw ever recorded weighed around 660 pounds (lbs).

Adult Tamaraws have a darker grey or brown color. They have distinctly shorter legs compared to other
buffalo species. Their inner lower forelegs as well as their hooves have distinct white markings. The ears
also exhibit the same white markings on the tips.

#1: PHILIPPINE EAGLE

PHILIPPINE EAGLE
Truly a jewel of the Philippines, the Philippine Eagle also known as monkey-eating eagle is tagged as the
national bird of the Philippines.

Though like a king of the forest this eagle is among the most powerful of birds with sights that are the
stuff of legends, the Haribon has become one of the rarest. Foremost cause for this population
decimation is habitat loss.

If you fancy catching the Philippine Eagle, think again. Killing one means you’d have to spend 12 years of
your life in prison. Not to mention paying heavy fines.

Scientific Name: Pithecophagajefferyi

Common Name:Haribon

Habitat: Philippines

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A wide variety of the planet's animal species call the Philippines home. Conservation International, a
nonprofit environmentalist group founded in 1987, recognizes the Philippines as one of only 17 mega-
diverse countries in the world. Mega-diverse countries are nations that shelter the bulk of Earth's animal
and plant life. In other words, these countries have extreme biodiversity in terms of genetic, genus, and
bio-network mixtures.

With so much biological diversity, the country is also home to a large number of threatened animal
species. As of the day this article was published, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature
and Natural Resources (IUCN), has declared 418 animal species in the Philippines to be threatened:
meaning they are either vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered, according to the IUCN red list
criteria.

1. Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi)

Also called the monkey-eating eagle, the Philippine eagle is native to the southern Philippines. It is
characterized by a brown and white feather pattern and bushy crest, and is believed to be one of the
largest and most powerful birds on Earth. A full-grown adult can grow to as big as four feet (ft) tall and
can weigh as much as nine kilograms (kg). The monkey-eating eagle is the Philippines national bird.
Major threats to the Philippine eagle's survival are deforestation, mining, and pollution.

Conservation Rationale

The IUCN has the Philippine eagle on its red list of critically endangered animals due to several factors. In
1988, it was added to the list of animals in threat of extinction. In the1990s it was classified as critically
endangered.
There are very few of these eagles left. Their global population has been steady declining for the past 56
years. Various legislations have been passed protecting the Philippine eagle, but such laws have been
poorly enforced, thus the continued decline in the eagle's numbers.

There are natural reserves and other protected areas at natural parks like Mt. Apo and Mt. Katinglad. The
Philippine Eagle Center, which can be found in Davao on the island of Mindanao, oversees the captive
breeding of these eagles.

Let us take part in redeeming our future. In this regard, let us hear your plan for affirmative action in the
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Truly, we don’t have to be great to start, but we have to start in order to be great!