Help! We’re endangered – 2 Come forward and assist these critically endangered species
HAWKSBILL SEA TURTLE – Critically endangered.
Photo courtesy; Wikipedia
The population explosion in the human race has had its derogatory impact on the longevity and existence of the other species that are not so fortunate as to have the intelligence and other resources than humans have.
Hawk’s bill are one of the most commonly exploited species because of their meat and because their shells are highly prized in the high-fashion corridors.
The name stems from a pointed and narrow beak and this critically endangered species is vanishing due to the disregard shown by Filipinos.
Locally called Pawikan, it is a vegetarian and is available throughout the world.
RED-VENTED COCKATOO
It is one of the few birds that are able to mimic a human voice.
This lovely cockatoo is quite distinct because it comes in only two colors i.e. white or red; it is about 12 inches long and its plumage is all white while it is red under the tail.
Its beauty has been its undoing since it is highly sought after as a pet in homes in the Philippines since it is only found in the Philippines where it has been poached and sold to near extinction.
There are currently less than 200 birds in the mangroves and rainforests which are its habitat and they are dwindling fast.
They are known by their local names Katala or Kalangay in their native
PHILIPPINE FOREST TURTLE
This critically endangered freshwater turtle is known as:
• The Philippine forest turtle,
• The Philippine pond turtle,
• The Palawan turtle, or
• The Leyte pond turtle.
This land turtle carries on its back its ginkgo-shaped vertebral scutes with a yellowish line behind its ears. Its habitat is the Palawan area
They have been a great attraction to foreign poachers since they are used as pets; the most tragic part of this animal is that it is highly sensitive and is unable to survive the handling during captivity.
Most of them perish after being collected; thet may be another major reason for their being critically endangered.
Any efforts that the government makes needs to be strictly enforced by the local populace otherwise the Filipinos will only have photos to show once they are extinct.
PHILIPPINE NAKED-BACKED FRUIT BAT
Photo courtesy; Wikipedia
This mega-bat whose waste matter was used by the miners on Cebu island as fertilizer apart from its large habitats in the Negros island are also facing a bleak future since sugar plantations replaced the dense forests during the 1980s.
Its wings meet at the middle point of its body making it a very agile flyer; the IUCN declared this species extinct since there had been no sighting since the early 1960s; but, they put in appearance in 2000.
They survive in caves and fly out at night; their meat is also highly sought after adding to its decline in numbers; but, the government has now stepped in to declare their current forest areas as protected with strict monitoring to ensure that they are not cut down on the island of Negros.
It is known to grow as much as 220m in length and still survives by the vagaries of nature and the conservation efforts of the government; it is called kwaknit locally.
VISAYAN WARTY PIG
Photo courtesy; Wikipedia
The easy availability of this highly sought after variety of animal that provides its meat to all echelons of society whether rich or poor has led to its doom since, it is on the verge of extinction and likely to vanish soon from the face of the earth.
This variety of pork was endemic originally for six islands of the 7100 island of the Philippines; but, to decorate the dining tables of the Filipinos, the area of their survival has restricted then to only two of those six islands..
Apart from enjoying their delicious meat, the Filipinos exploit their skin for its fur. Lechon is the reason for the Cebu warty pig and the Visayan warty pig dwindling in numbers.
However, there are certain agencies that are bent upon preserving this critically endangered animal; Rotterdan Zoo and San Deigo Zoo are contributing their efforts in conserving this delightful contributor to the Lechon.
It is locally called Negros warty pig or Cebu warty pig which are the two varieties found in their habitats in Cebu, Negros island and Panay.
TAMARAW
Photo courtesy; Wikipedia
This wild buffalo is the only bovine that is essentially endemic to the Philippines and is stated to be more than 12000 years in existence here; its hooves are quite small and it is also smaller in size; it has v-shaped horns.
It continues to survive in the harsh mountain terrains of Mindoro and there are less than 350 heads which brings them very close to extinction.
Shrinking of its traditional grazing grounds, excessive logging and hunting are the basic reasons that we have not been able to preserve this endemic animal.
The Philippine eagle
Photo courtesy; Wikipedia
This eagle is the pride of the Filipino people and bears the title of its national bird; killing one of these awesome birds is punishable with 12 years in prison according to the law of the Pinoy land.
In 1896, John Whitehead, the English explorer was instrumental in discovering this eagle that is endemic to the Philippines; originally it was confused with the Harpy Eagle but it is now called the monkey-eating eagle or the Haribon.
Its habitat includes:
1. Mindanao with the highest number of up to 250 pairs,
2. Eastern Luzon,
3. Leyte and
4. Samar.
It can also be spotted in the national parks and protected areas on Mindanao, Luzon and Mount Malindang Apo and Kitanglad.
Concluded.
Umrao singh umraoz.wordpress.com
Monday, 29 August 2016
Written for: Lars-Magnus Carlsson www.thephilippinepride.com
