Tamaraws are not choosy with their diet. In fact, its diet consists mainly of new growth of Saccharum spontaneoum, Imperata cylindrica or "cogon" grass and even bamboo shoots that are quite abundant in the area. Just like the carabao, the tamaraw requires adequate supply of water for drinking and wallowing so that during summer they were observed to travel to lower areas in search of water. With regards to wallowing behavior Momongan et al., (1996) reported that tamaraws wallow more during the day than at night and during rainy season compared to the dry season. Their observations were based on tamaraws in confinement.
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| Philippine Tamaraw |
Physical Description of Tamaraw
The tamaraw closely resembles the Philippine swamp buffalo or carabao (Bubalus bubalis) in all aspects except that it is much smaller physically. It measures only a meter tall at the shoulder and weighs roughly 300 kg. Because of this, the tamaraw is also known as "miniature carabao" or "dwarf carabao". A striking feature of tamaraws is their short massive horns, which are triangular on cross section and curve straight caudally forming a "V", whereas in carabaos the horns are directed laterally and caudally forming a "C" (Walker et al. 1975). The haircoat of adult tamaraw is dark brown to grayish black in both sexes.
Newly born calves, however, are reddish brown in color but it changes to adult color when the animal reaches 5 years of age (Kuehn, 1976). Change in haircoat color and shape of the horns could be used in the estimation of the age of tamaraws (Kuehn, 1986). Tamaraws have short and stocky legs, more hairs in the body and short external ears. The skeletal system of the tamaraw has already been adequately studied (Sumulong, 1931; Maala and Momongan, 1993). The other body systems have yet to be described.
Habitat
Tamaraws used to roam in open pasture, dense bamboo vegetation, marshy river valleys and upland forests in Mindoro Island but because of pressures from hunting and shrinking habitat, the animals defensively retreated to forested areas (Kuehn, 1986). Cox and Woodford (1990) described the physical features and vegetation prevailing in Mt. Iglit-Baco National Park, one of the tamaraw conservation areas. The Mt. Iglit-Baco National Park is a 75,500 ha area located in a mountainous terrain in the central region of Mindoro. The vegetation of the western part of the park is dominated by botanical species such as Themedia triandra, Saccharum spontaneoum and Imperata cylindrica. There are also small areas with mixed bamboo and secondary forest growths. The vegetation along rivers is dense and this provides good pasture and cover to the tamaraws. The eastern side of the park that receives adequate rainfall throughout the year favors the growth of tropical rainforest.
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| Philippine Tamaraw |
Tamaraw Population
The tamaraw is listed in Appendix I of CITES which means that the population of this animal has reached an alarmingly low level; thus, poaching and trade of tamaraws are strictly prohibited. It is one of the Philippine mammalian species facing extinction unless the causal factors are eliminated. Harrisson (1969) reported that the population of tamaraw dropped from a high of 10,000 in 1900 to just 100 heads in 1969. Lustria and Callo (1992) reported that there are still about 133 tamaraws in the wild.
DENR claimed that the population of the tamaraw has increased to 300. As to the sharp decline in the population of tamaraw from 1900 to 1949, this was attributed to the outbreak of rinderpest in the Philippines in 1930. Rinderpest, which was introduced into Africa 100 years ago, was responsible for the eradication of millions of wilderbeests, hartebeests and others in that continent. Among the threats to the remaining tamaraw population, include the continuous destruction of their habitat by human settlers in the tamaraw reservation areas.
One such activity is cattle ranching near the Mangyan Heritage Park, which has resulted in the destruction in large proportion of the tamaraw's remaining habitat. Cox and Woodford (1990) have reported that about 14 pasture permits (the number could have easily doubled now) covering approximately 6,616 ha of the Mangyan Heritage Park have been issued by the Philippine government for commercial cattle ranching. Burning, a common practice by cattle ranchers especially during summer resulted in the appearance of less suitable and palatable botanical growth such as Imperata cylindrica.
One cannot also discount the possibility of diseases and parasites being introduced into the area by cattle ranching. In fact, gastro-intestinal tract parasites such as strongyles, fasciola, amphistomes and trichuris sp. normally present in cattle have already been reported in captive tamaraws (Anunciado et al., 1996). Even external parasites such as Hematopinus tuberculatus (louse), Boophilus microplus (tick), Rhipicephalus sanguineus (tick) and Amblyoma sp. (tick) have likewise been observed in these animals (Masangkay et al., 1996). Two tamaraws in their report were seropositive to Leptospira sp. and one animal reacted positively to bluetongue virus and leptospira.
