Calauit Safari Park

Calauit Safari Park is a wildlife sanctuary in the Philippines that was originally created in 1976 as a game reserve featuring large African mammals, translocated there under the orders of Ferdinand Marcos during his 21-year rule of the country

Published date: 15 April 2021,03:34 | Updated:29 September 2021,17:49

About

Explore the Philippines’ game reserve and wildlife sanctuary in Calauit Safari Park, a 3,700 hectare island off the coast of Palawan. It is home to various species of exotic African and endemic Palawan flora and fauna where hundreds of giraffes, elans, waterbucks, Calamian deer, monkeys, fresh water crocodiles, zebras, bear cats, bushbuck and a variety of birds roam freely. This tropical safari should not be missed on your visit to Coron.

Calauit Safari Tour

Schedule of Trips

Morning trips are scheduled at 7:00 am. Early breakfast will be served before you leave the resort. Kindly advise the Front Desk if you need a wake-up call. Afternoon trips are scheduled at 1:00 pm.

The whole trip takes about 5-6 hours, depending on sea conditions. A tour can accommodate four to 30 persons per trip.

Visit website for Calauit Safari Tour

List of animals present in the Park

Reticulated giraffe

(Giraffa reticulata) - also known as the Somali giraffe, is a subspecies of giraffe native to the Horn of Africa. It lives in Somalia, southern Ethiopia, and northern Kenya. 15 giraffes have been transported in a vessel named M/V Salvador in march 1977. The numbers of giraffes have flourished in the park due to the lack of natural predators. As of 2016, a total of 27 Giraffes are present in the park some of which is naturally born on the island.

Common eland

(Taurotragus oryx) - is one of the largest species of antelope found in the plains of Africa, 11 Elands were transported together with the other African animal species brought from Kenya in 1977. The Elands have flourished throughout the park though it is difficult to keep track of their numbers as some of the locals have stated that the creature is shy and is seldom to be seen. In early 2013, 23 elands have been tracked by the workers proving that the species itself have acclimated in the island.

Grévy’s zebra

(Equus grevyi) - The largest extant species of Zebra. 15 Zebras have been brought and the population of zebra have spread throughout the park. The Grevy’s zebra itself is the most endangered of the two zebra subspecies. In 2016, a total of 34 zebra’s were thriving in the park and their populations are predicted to spread out due to the lack of natural predators.

Waterbuck

(Kobus ellipsiprymnus) - is a large antelope found widely in sub-Saharan Africa. About 12 Waterbucks arrived in the park in 1977. These elusive creatures can be seen rarely in the park. They are docile animals but they prefer to distance themselves from the tourist. Among the eland, the waterbuck is one of the two species of antelopes that remained in the park.

Below are the former introduced animal in the park and have died out due to territorial disputes and a threat of illegal hunting.

Impala

(Aepyceros melampus) - Impala’s are among the indigenous animals that are introduced to the park in 1977 there were 18 impalas at that time but they species have a problem adopting to the new climate and have proven to be extinct in the 1999.

Topi

(Damaliscus lunatus jimela) is a highly social and fast antelope subspecies of the common tsessebe, a species which belongs to the genus Damaliscus. The In 1977, A total of 10 Topis was brought in the park. They are fast runners and are often shy of tourist they came across. However, the Topis died out after years of observation and was declared extinct in the park by 1999.

Bushbuck

(Tragelaphus sylvaticus) - is a widespread species of antelope in Sub-Saharan Africa.12 bushbucks was sent by the kenyan government in the park and they occupied the forest area of the park near the bushes. The workers in the park noticed that the bushbuck population decreased throughout the years due to territorial disputes among the other antelopes. The parks authorities searched the remaining animals which have decreased in numbers but were unsuccessful. bushbucks was declared extinct in 1999 among the four antelope species that are introduced in the park.

Thomson’s gazelle

(Eudorcas thomsonii) - is one of the best-known gazelles. It is named after explorer Joseph Thomson and is sometimes referred to as a “tommie”. 11 gazelles were delivered in the park among the other 7 animal species that are endemic to the African plains. Their population once thrived in the park within five years but have thought to decline in 1980’s. The authorities in the park have failed to locate any individuals by 1999 and the species was declared extinct in the park by the palawan government.

Local animals in the park

Calamian deer

(Hyelaphus calamianensis) - is an endangered species of the deer endemic to the Calamian Islands of the Palawan province in the Philippines. The Calamian deer is declared critically endangered in 1981 due to deforestation, over hunting and habitat loss. Only 25 calamian deer’s are left when the park started conservation effort. The conservation itself went successful and their numbers have flourished in the park. In 2016, their population have reached 1200-1300 and is now been declared an endangered species by IUCN.

Palawan bearded pig

(Sus ahoenobarbus) - it is one of 4 wild pigs endemic to the Philippines and are considered vulnerable under the Philippine Red List of Threatened Wildlife.Several wild pigs are kept in the park’s conservation center though there are a few wild pigs that are present outside the park. Due to their status as vulnerable the rangers are having a big difficulty tracking their numbers. Several wild pigs have been stated to roam the park though it is rare as wild pigs fled to the forest in the morning.

Philippine crocodile

(Crocodylus mindorensis) - A critically endangered freshwater crocodile endemic to the Philippines. There are originally 5 fresh water crocodiles in the park at 2005 but one died of natural cause. As of today, there are currently 4 freshwater crocodiles in the conservation center though an effort to breed this critically endangered reptilian is been planned in the near future.In late 2015, one of the female freshwater crocodiles have laid few dozens of eggs and have hatched in the early 2016. Currently the crocodile hatchlings are put into a separated pond to prevent other male crocodiles from harming them.

Philippine porcupine

(Hystrix pumila) is a species of rodent in the family Hystricidae(Old World porcupines) endemic to the island of Palawan in the Philippines. It is known locally as durian or landak. The IUCN declared this species as vulnerable and currently 3 porcupines have been kept in the center in an effort to conserve different endangered species in the Philippines.

Binturong

(Arctictis binturong), also known as bearcat, is a viverrid native to South and Southeast Asia. It is uncommon in much of its range, and has been assessed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because of a declining population trend that is estimated at more than 30% over the last three decades. There are 1 Binturong that have been kept in the park. Only few of this species can be spotted in the forest of Palawan and may have dwindled in numbers due to deforestation and habitat loss.

Philippine mouse-deer

(Tragulus nigricans) - also known as the Balabac chevrotain or pilandok (in Filipino), is a small, nocturnal ruminant, which is endemic to Balabac and nearby smaller islands (Bugsuc and Ramos) southwest of Palawan in the Philippines. as of 2005, 22 mousedeers are kept in the park’s sanctuary.