In this series I highlighted the Tamaraw for my Philippine Wildlife Art project.
Tamaraw are “dwarf buffalos” that can only be found on Mindoro Island! Their scientific name is Bubalus mindorensis and unfortunately, only 568 to 604 individuals were counted in the 2021 annual Tamaraw count (thank you to CJ B. for these numbers).
Tamaraw love eating grass and young bamboo shoots in the last open grasslands of Mindoro. They also like to relax in tall grass and dense forest.
They can be found in and around Mt. Siburan in Mindoro as well, where the last remaining Mindoro Bleeding Heart pigeons can also be found.
Because they like to hide, some of the “indirect” ways scientists know they are nearby, is by looking for hoofmarks and… #TamarawTae (poo poo).
There was once thousands of them around 100 years ago, but unfortunately forest and grasslands lost to fires, mining, and even invasive plants continue to threatened these last remaining Tamaraw. They are currently classified as Critically Endangered under DENR Administrative Order No. 2004-15 and on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
