THIS CAPSTONE IS DOOONE!!! CONGRATS TO THIS TEAM
Beyond The Game
The Current WILD
Get informed about the current state of wildlife. Learn more about the pressing challenges facing Philippine wildlife today.
ARTICLE
— The Current Wild
The Philippines is one of the world’s most biodiverse countries, hosting over 52,000 species, with more than half being endemic—found nowhere else on Earth. From the majestic Philippine Eagle, to the elusive Palawan Pangolin and the critically endangered Tamaraw, these creatures are vital to our ecosystems and national identity.
But their habitats are vanishing fast.
Every year, forests are cleared for agriculture, urbanization, and infrastructure projects. Illegal wildlife trade, poaching, and pollution worsen the crisis. According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the country loses about 47,000 hectares of forests annually. That’s more than 60,000 football fields of potential habitat—gone.
Every year, forests are cleared for agriculture, urbanization, and infrastructure projects. Illegal wildlife trade, poaching, and pollution worsen the crisis. According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the country loses about 47,000 hectares of forests annually. That’s more than 60,000 football fields of potential habitat—gone.
Faces of the Wild: Endemic Animals of the Philippines
From the soaring Philippine Eagle, one of the largest and rarest eagles in the world, to the elusive Philippine Crocodile, our country is home to species that exist nowhere else on Earth. Yet many of them face critical threats—deforestation, habitat loss, pollution, poaching, and climate change—all pushing them closer to extinction.
Take the Philippine Eagle, for instance. Known as the Haring Ibon or “King Bird,” it’s one of the largest and most powerful eagles on the planet, but with fewer than 400 left in the wild, it’s CRITICALLY ENDANGERED due to deforestation and hunting.
Conservation groups like the Philippine Eagle Foundation are actively involved in rescuing injured eagles, breeding them in captivity, and educating communities about their importance. Every eagle saved is a step toward preserving our natural heritage.
Then there’s the Palawan Pangolin, a shy, scale-covered mammal native to Palawan. It’s highly trafficked for its meat and scales, making it one of the most illegally traded animals globally. Despite being protected, it’s still at high risk of EXTINCTION. Experts estimate that the Philippine Pangolin population has dropped by over 80% in the last two decades.
Organizations like the Katala Foundation and Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Inc. are working hard to gather more data, raise awareness, and enforce stronger protections.
Once widespread across Mindoro, the Tamaraw has been pushed to the brink of extinction, with an estimated fewer than 500 individuals left in the wild. The causes? Habitat loss, hunting, and disease—often due to human expansion and land use change. Many grasslands where Tamaraws once roamed have been converted into farmland, while others were lost to logging or development.
The Tamaraw is currently classified as CRITICALLY ENDANGERED by the IUCN Red List. In response, the Philippine government and organizations such as the DENR-Tamaraw Conservation Program and D’ABOVILLE Foundation have implemented protection strategies.
REFERENCES USED:
Katala Foundation, Inc. (n.d.). Philippine pangolin conservation program. Retrieved April 16, 2025, from https://www.katalafoundation.org/
Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Inc. (n.d.). Saving endangered Philippine wildlife. Retrieved April 16, 2025, from https://www.pbcfi.org.ph/
Wildlife Conservation Society. (2021, February 15). The world’s most trafficked mammal: Pangolins. Retrieved from https://www.wcs.org/news
Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Tamaraw Conservation Program. (n.d.). Saving the tamaraw. Retrieved April 16, 2025, from https://www.denr.gov.ph/
International Union for Conservation of Nature. (2023). Bubalus mindorensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/3127/50185674
D’Aboville Foundation. (n.d.). Mindoro biodiversity conservation. Retrieved April 16, 2025, from https://www.dabovillefoundation.org/
cutie ni dujat <33
ahaahahahahah
WOW SO CUTE DA BEST CHARACTER DESIGN EVER
MAUIII!
LET US KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS
Comment here!
Leave a Reply