10 ENDANGERED SPECIES

#10: PHILIPPINE CROCODILE

Yes, if it had its way it may not hesitate in taking a chunk out of your limbs.
Careful there!
But the opposite is true. Through the years, many of these Mindoro crocodiles
– endemic only to the Philippines – have disappeared falling prey to relentless
hunters. Mighty and dangerous may the Philippine Crocodile be, its hide is a
prized catch, an expensive material for fashion accessories (e.g., bags,
shoes).

So if you truly love our very own endangered animals, be wary of what you
buy in those slick exclusive fashion bazaars!

Unlike the saltwater crocodile Lolong, said to be the world’s largest crocodile
at 21 feet long weighing 1,075 kilos, Philippine Crocodiles also called as
Mindoro Crocodile are much smaller growing 3 meters or less than 10 feet
(almost half of Lolong).So it’s not the big saltwater crocs that are endangered,
it’s their smaller cousins

#9:THE MINDORO BLEEDING-HEART

Its heart must be bleeding saddened by its fate.

Another species that is fighting for its very existence is the Mindoro Bleeding-
heart, a type of ground dove with the unmistakable red markings on its chest.
The sad reality is most, of its natural habitat has been cleared as majority, if
not all, of the primary forests of Mindoro have been cleared.
#8:RUFOUS-HEADED HORNBILL

This bird with a lot of weight on its horn, is found only in the Philippines. Yes,
you’re right. No other country has this mighty specie.

That fact alone should make us proud. Had it stayed that way. The thing is the
Kalaw or rufous-headed is in an extremely rapid population decline or in plain
English their numbers are dying. It’s a shame that we can’t take care of such a
wonderful bird treasure.
#7:HAWKSBILL SEA TURTLE

Again here is a story of how a wonderful creature can be lost in the face of the
Earth all because of human impact.
Distinguished for its narrow, pointed beak that earned it its name as “Hawk’s
bill”, this medium-sized vegetarian of a turtle has been under heavy attack
from humans in general, and Filipinos in particular who hunt them for their
meat and for their shells which are prized material for many accessories in the
fashion industry.
#6:RED-VENTED COCKATOO

You can never mistake this 12 inch-long cockatoo made up of just two colors:
white and red. Like a priest out to say Holy Massthis bird is all-white with red
feathers around the vent.

Perhaps because of its strikingly-clean personality, the red-vented has

become a victim of the cage-bird trade with a bird fetching as much as $160 in
Manila. And that was in the late 90’s.
#5:PHILIPPINE FOREST TURTLE

This turtle may have gotten a misnomer as it is totally not endemic to the
island of Leyte but only in the Palawan island group.

You can easily distinguish this land turtle by its ginkgo-shaped vertebral
scutes (at its back). Also, a line which is colored pale white to yellow traverses
across its head behind the ears.

They are prized as pets and ranks as one of the most commonly confiscated
species in the Philippines with overseas buyers visiting the islands to collect
them. However, sadly, the Philippine forest turtle do not do well in captivity
making them avery vulnerable species.
#4:PHILIPPINE NAKED-BACKED FRUIT BAT

Size is not everything. Being the largest cave-dwelling bat in the whole
archipelago measuring up to 220m in total length is no protection. Instead, the
Philippine naked-backed fruit bat has attracted bad men, being hunted for its
meat.

However by some twist of fate, this mega bat specie known for its naked
appearance due to the wings attachment on the midline of their back, made
an amazing recovery. Reported to be extinct in 1970’s, the night-flier known to
very equipped at biting through hard-skinned fruits making them extremely
unpopular to farmers, were rediscovered, though in small numbers by the
2000’s.
Fortunately, Cebu forests where this bat is endemic to is protected by law.
Negros may do well to follow suit.

#3: 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.

#2: TAMARAW

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.
#1: 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.