By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — The country’s conservation campaign for the critically endangered tamaraw scored another milestone after government wildlife experts recorded a 12-percent increase in the animal’s monitored population in Mindoro this year.
Data released by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-Mimaropa showed that 425 tamaraws were counted during the 2026 Annual Tamaraw Population Count, up from 380 recorded in 2025.
The annual survey was conducted from April 15 to 20 by the Tamaraw Conservation Program Office (TCPO) inside the Mounts Iglit-Baco Natural Park (MIBNP), the species’ principal remaining stronghold and the country’s longest-running tamaraw monitoring site.
The latest figure represents the highest monitored population recorded in recent years within the park’s core conservation area, reflecting continued gains from sustained protection and habitat management efforts.
DENR said tamaraws were observed at every designated counting station during the five-day survey, including locations where no sightings were reported last year.
The presence of calves, yearlings, sub-adults, and mature animals also points to a healthy breeding population and continued natural recruitment in the wild.
While Mounts Iglit-Baco hosts the largest surviving herd, authorities noted that smaller tamaraw populations also inhabit the proposed Siburan–Aruyan–Dangari–Iyason–Kinarawan Critical Habitat and the Upper Amnay Watershed, where separate monitoring activities are underway.
The population census utilized the Intensive Concentration Count (ICC), also known as the Simultaneous Multi-Vantage Point Count Method, a scientific monitoring system adopted by the DENR in 2000 to ensure consistent yearly population estimates.
The operation brought together trained observers from the DENR, Protected Area Management Office, local government units, Indigenous Peoples, academic institutions, environmental organizations, and partner agencies.
To ensure accuracy, duplicate sightings recorded from different observation posts were carefully verified and excluded from the final tally.
Officials said maintaining the same methodology each year allows conservationists to accurately measure population trends while complementary scientific studies provide additional information on the species’ long-term viability.
Despite the encouraging increase, the DENR stressed that the Philippine tamaraw (Bubalus mindorensis) remains classified as critically endangered, with habitat destruction, illegal hunting, human encroachment, and climate change continuing to threaten its survival.
To strengthen conservation efforts, the Department of Science and Technology–Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD) and the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) are implementing a 27-month research project examining how public awareness campaigns influence conservation behavior.
Initial findings indicate that video-based information and education campaigns help encourage stronger public support for protecting the endemic species.
Researchers also recommended stronger collaboration among the DENR, local government units, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), and law enforcement agencies, while calling for increased funding, equipment, and training for tamaraw rangers.
They further urged local governments to integrate tamaraw conservation measures into land use plans, forest management programs, and local environmental ordinances to secure the future of one of the Philippines’ rarest and most iconic wildlife species.
ia/xf
