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The
little leopard cat
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A
little over eight years ago, in
October 10, 1993
, WVSU formally inked a memorandum of agreement with the Mulhouse Zoo of France
for the conservation project.
The
park started with only five deer, and the group had to work hard to get the
necessary financial aid for the project from foreign entities and organizations.
“The government has not given a single centavo for the project until today,”
explained Lastimoza.
“I
wonder at times why I am doing this. This is supposed to be undertaken by the
DENR [Department of Environment and Natural Resources]. But I also see that DENR
has a limited budget, just like all government agencies.”
She
stressed though that the Philippine government contributed the 2.5-hectare park,
owned by the WVSU, which was set aside for the project.
Flora
and Fauna International, Melbourne Zoo, San Diego Zoo, Chester Zoo, Berlin Zoo,
London Zoological Society, White Ox Conservation, Vogelpark, Loro Parque
Fundaccion, El Retiro Park, Mulhouse Zoo, the Zoological Society for the
Conservation of Species & Populations, and the International Union for the
Conservation of Nature extended financial help to the project. Foreign
individuals also shelled out cash for the effort.
Save
the Deer…Save All Local Flora and Fauna
The
Visayan spotted deer was chosen as the focus of conservation efforts among the
endangered animals, or “flagship species,” because Lastimoza had previously
believed the deer to be the only most endangered endemic species.
“I
thought that the deer were the most endangered species among our own animals so
we picked it as the focus of our conservation efforts,” she explained.
She
recalled that, “Shortly before this project was born, people living in the
hinterland villages would bring along a spotted deer they had hunted down for
sale in the town center.”
But
she discovered that there were other animals that face the same threat as the
Visayan spotted deer, so she decided to take care of them as well.
This
explains why Mari-it is also taking care of many other animals.
The
Visayan spotted deer is “a small deer not much larger than some dogs, being
about 2.6 feet tall at the shoulder.” Lastimoza describes it as “an
attractive animal. It is a very charismatic animal.”
A
survey conducted in 1985 indicated that a few spotted deer were found in parts
of
Negros
,
Leyte
,
Samar
and
Panay
Islands
. Another study conducted in 1991 reported that the deer survived in small
populations only in
Panay
and adjacent
Negros
Island
. Oliver noted that in 1990, there were only 13 spotted deer known to be alive.
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The
Tarictic hornbill is critically endangered
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In
a report done by the Frankfurt Zoological Society on their Philippine Endemic
Species Conservation Project, the group said that the tarictic hornbill “is
now known certainly only from Panay and Negros, being probably extinct or nearly
so on Guimaras, Ticao, Masbate, Sicogon and Pan de Azucar Islands.”
Starting
with only five spotted deer, Mari-it now has 31, with 17 born in captivity. The
rest were either brought to or bought by the park.
There
are now 32 warty pigs in conservation enclosures with 27 bred in captivity. Ten
will be sent to the San Diego Zoo in California
27
cloud rats may also be found in the park, with six bred in captivity.
There
are 12 writhed-billed and 19 Tarictic hornbills in the park now, along with
another two racquet-tailed parrots and three little leopard cats.
Lastimoza
said once the habitat of the flagship species is protected, “you are
protecting the habitat of all other species” as they all live in the same
environment. “Once you protect that forest which is the home of our spotted
deer, then you are protecting all flora and fauna living there.”
Blamed
for the near extinction these animals and birds is the intense hunting pressure,
clearing for agriculture, bad logging practices and the continued elimination
and fragmentation of the animals’ habitats.
Lastimoza
said the spotted deer is “a critically-endangered” species, along with the
Visayan warty pig, the
Panay
writhed-billed hornbill and the Visayan Tarictic hornbill. Classified as
“endangered” are the bushy-tailed cloud rat and the racquet-tailed parrot.
The little leopard cat is listed as “vulnerable.”
IUCN
classifies animals as “critically endangered” when they face an extremely
high risk of extinction in the wild in the immediate future, “endangered”
when are not critically endangered but are facing a very high risk of extinction
in the wild in the near future, and “vulnerable” when they are not
critically endangered or endangered but face a high risk of extinction in the
wild in the medium-term future.
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27
cloud rats now live in the Mari-it Conservation Park
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Back
to the Wilds
The
current “success of conservation,” however, does not end with the breeding
of more endangered animals in conservation centers like the Mari-it.
While
conservation centers could be showcases of education and facilities for
research, said Lastimoza, their main goal is to return back to the wild the
animals it has saved from extinction. “But only if there’s a protected
area,” she emphasized.
Aside
from expecting the declaration of the
Panay
’s remaining forests as “protected areas,” Lastimoza hopes that DENR will
approve her proposal for setting aside a 10-hectare portion of a watershed park
in Calinog town where she will release a “functional breeding population” of
the animals.
“I
am amazed by nature. You know, it has the ability to bounce back to its original
state,” she said with full optimism. “It may take another 20 years to have
this dream fully realized, but I’m happy to take a small step.”
Rexcel John B. Sorza
is a journalist from the Philippines and a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast
Communication and Management. He was recently the runner up in the Water
Media Network Journalists’ Competition and received his award at the Third
World Water Forum in Kyoto, Japan. Your emails will be forwarded to him by
contacting the editor at: ScienceTech@islam-online.net.
