In this article, we will be talking about the top 15 most endangered species in the Philippines and endangered animals in the Philippines, in recent decades so many animals in the Philippines have been listed as endangered species. These animals are threatened by so many factors both natural and man-made and their populations keep on declining.
The causes of endangered species in the Philippines are habitat loss, environmental pollution, water pollution, poaching, disease outbreaks, human encroachment, climate change, and excessive hunting by humans with the use of lethal weapons.
However, efforts are being made to save these animals from going into extinction like so many private and government agencies have risen to save the animals, despite all these, so many of these animals are still dying in great numbers.
Table of Contents
Top 15 Most Endangered Species in the Philippines
Here are the top 15 endangered species.
- Philippine Crocodile
- Philippine Eagle(Harin Ibon)
- Tamaraw
- Bombon Sardine(Tawilis)
- Philippine Spotted Dear
- Philippine Tarsier
- Sea Turtles
- Hawk’s bill Sea Turtle
- Philippine Wild Pig(Baboy Damo)
- Balabac Mouse-Deer(Pilandok)
- Red-Vented Cockatoo
- Rufous-headed Hornbill
- Negros and Mindoro bleeding-heart doves.
- Irrawaddy Dolphin
- Philippine naked-backed fruit bat
Philippine Crocodile
The Philippine crocodile is one of the critically endangered species in the Philippines, the Philippine crocodile is smaller compared to other crocodiles and they mostly feed on snails although sometimes an unlucky human gets into their daily diet.
They are also known as the Mindoro crocodile, the scientific name of this crocodile is Crocodylusmindorensis and the common name for it is “freshwater crocodile”. They are related to saltwater crocodiles. In the breeding season, the female make nests and lay in them between fifty to thirty which takes between 65-85 days to hatch, while both males and females guard the eggs.
These animals are usually brown with black markings and have broad snouts compared to other crocodiles, with an average lifespan of 70-80 years, despite this they are still among the most endangered species in the Philippines.
Location: Dalupiri island, Mindoro island in Luzon, and Mindanao island.
Diet: Snails, fishes, aquatic invertebrates, small mammals, and rarely humans(children).
Length: 5-7 feet.
The number of surviving individuals: Less than 100.
Weight: 11-14 kilograms.
Reasons why they are endangered:
- Use of dynamite in fishing.
- Habitual hunting by humans.
- Habitat loss.
- Illegal wildlife trading.
Philippine Eagle(Harin Ibon)
The Philippine eagle is an animal that is endemic to the Philippines and it is one of the critically endangered species in the Philippines. These giant prey birds have creamy-white under and crown-like, thick, long feathers.
According to the Philippine eagle foundation, the number of these kingly animals remaining in the wild will need 4,000-11,000 hectares of land to survive depending on the number of prey in the area, this, coupled with human activities makes it hard for these animals to survive.
With the rate the population of these royal animals is declining there is a great possibility that the next generation will never set their eyes on one.
Location: Luzon Island, Samar island, Leyte island, Mindanao island.
Diet: They prey on small mammals and reptiles like rabbits, rats, and snakes.
The number of surviving individuals: About 400 adults.
Reasons Why They Are Endangered
- Uncontrolled hunting by humans.
- Trafficking.
- Lack of prey to feed on due to excessive hunting by humans.
- Loss of habitat.
Tamaraw
The Tamaraw is a species of buffalo with unique features that lives only in the Philippines and it is one of the endangered species in the Philippines. This buffalo has a sturdy look with its shiny black hair, horns facing backward, barely taller than a 3-year old kid but with a dangerous temper, and easily launches an attack at any intruder.
In the 1900s the population of Tamaraw used to be at about 10,000 before the rinderpest outbreak in the 1930s which tremendously affected their population, currently, there are a few hundred of them as they join the list of critically endangered animals in the Philippines on their way to extinction.
Location: The Mindoro island.
Diet: Herbivores.
Height: About 3 feet.
The number of surviving individuals: About 300.
Reasons Why They Are Endangered
- The rinderpest outbreak of the 1930s.
- Introduction of sophisticated and modern weapons in hunting.
- Poaching.
- Loss of habitat.
Bombon Sardine(Tawilis)
Bombon sardine also known as Tawilis, rare species of sardines that can only be found in one lake in the Philippines and no other place in the whole world. They are one of the endangered species in the Philippines and one of the most critically endangered species in the world.
Interestingly Tawilis is the only species of sardines that lives in freshwater, sadly, and unfortunately, these animals are dying off.
They are known to breed from April to July every year and they roam in large schools(groups), this is part of the reason why they are among the most endangered species in the Philippines as they can easily be caught in large quantities.
Being one of the endangered species in the Philippines and also in the world they should be taken care of, but the natives seem not to know about that as they go on hunting these animals.
Location: They are found in Taal lake.
Diet: Tawilis feed on plankton near the surface of the water.
The number of surviving individuals: No estimate.
Reasons Why They Are Endangered
- Overfishing.
- Illegal fishing.
- Effects of poor water sanitation.
Philippine Spotted Deer
The Philippine spotted deers are among the most endangered species in the Philippines and their population keeps on declining as nothing is being done to protect them. They are popularly used for hunting sports and bushmeat as the meat is highly prized in the area.
They are colored brown and black with creamy spots all over their backs with slight physical and anatomical differences from other species of deer.
Location: They can Found in Busuanga island, Calauit island, Marily island, Culion island, and Dimaquiat island all in Palawan.
Diet: Herbivores.
weight: About 46 kilograms.
The number of surviving individuals: No estimate.
Reasons Why They Are Endangered
- Hunting.
- Loss of habitat to agricultural, commercial, and residential developments.
Philippine Tarsier
Tarsiers are one of the endangered species in the Philippines and are the world’s second-smallest primates. These animals were killed, sold, and kept as pets in large numbers before the establishment of proclamation No. 1030 which declared them specially protected faunal species on the 23 of June 1997.
This proclamation was made by Philippines former president Fidel Ramos V. and he also created the Tarsier Sanctuary for their protection and these actions kept them off the list of critically endangered species in the Philippines.
It is really surprising to know that despite the size of these animals; they are among the most emotional and sensitive animals on earth as they can commit suicide when over-stressed just like some humans by banging their heads against objects like tree trunks; this is one of the reasons why they are on the list of endangered species in the Philippines.
Location: Bohol.
Diet: Grasshoppers, moths, praying mantis, butterflies, cockroaches, and all other insects,
Size: 11.5 – 14.5 centimeters tall.
Weight: 80-160 grams.
The number of surviving individuals: No estimate.
Reasons Why They Are endangered
- They were hunted by humans for meat.
- Trafficking.
- They were used as pets and thereby got exposed to non-conducive environments and died.
- Loss of habitat to men.
Sea Turtles
Sea turtles in the Philippines are classified among the endangered species in the Philippines. It is interesting to know that out of the 7 species of sea turtle in the world, five are found in the Philippines and they are the green turtle, loggerhead turtle, leatherback turtle, Olive Ridley turtle, and hawk’s bill sea turtle.
The population of all these species of turtle has been in the decline in the past decade mainly due to man-made factors.
Location: All over the Philippines.
Diet: Young sea turtles are carnivores eating young crustaceans and other little sea creatures while the adult sea turtles are herbivores eating seagrasses and other grasses too.
The number of surviving individuals: No estimate.
Reasons Why They Are Endangered
- The main cause of population decline of the green turtle is the overexploitation of the eggs and adult females in nesting beaches, pollution of waters, and the capture of the males and juveniles in feeding areas.
- The leatherback turtle finds itself on the list of endangered species in the Philippines because of accidental catches by fishermen, human consumption, and development in coastal areas.
- The loggerhead species are affected by the same things that affect the leatherback turtles and also by water pollution and climate change.
- The Olive Ridley species are the most abundant of them all and are affected by egg harvest, hunting of adults, and habitat loss because of climate change and by man’s activities), and diseases such as fibro-papilloma.
Hawk’s bill Sea Turtle
The hawk’s bill sea turtle is one of the endangered species in the Philippines, they are called this name because of the shape of their mouths which resembles the shape of a hawk’s bill. scientists believe that sea turtles have roamed the oceans for at least 100 million years.
Sea turtles love traveling around the vast ocean, it is scientifically known as Eretmochelys Imbricata while the local name for it is Pawikan. They can lay up to 121 eggs at a go.
Location: It can be found on all Philippine islands but is more commonly found in the lakes and seas around Bicol, Samar, Mindoro, and Palawan.
Diet: The young are carnivores while the adults are herbivores.
The number of surviving individuals: No estimate.
Reasons Why They Are Endangered
- Illegal wildlife or hunting activities like poaching, pollution of habitats, and trafficking.
- Hunting by carnivorous animals.
- Loss of habitat.
Philippine Wild Pig(Baboy Damo)
There are four species of wild pig, all of which are endemic to the Philippines, all of them are either listed among the endangered or critically endangered species in the Philippines. They are Palawan bearded pig, Visayan warty, Oliver’s warty pig, and Philippines warty pig.
All of them are locally known as Baboy Damo and are all on the list of endangered species in the Philippines because they are extensively hunted by the locals for their meat and as we know pork is exceptionally delicious to the taste buds.
These pigs have very thick manes that go from their heads, over their backs, and down to their tails and have unusually big snouts and they move together in small herds.
Location: All over the Philippines.
Diet: They are omnivorous.
The number of surviving individuals: No estimate.
Reasons Why They Are Endangered
- Intensive hunting by humans for meat.
- Loss of habitat.
Babalac Mouse-Deer(Pilandok)
The babalac or Philippine mouse-deer is also among the endangered species in the Philippines and there has been a significant decrease in their population in recent years the recent decades. the Philippine mouse-deer is a small nocturnal ruminant, it has a head and body that resembles that of a mouse but legs that resemble that of goats or sheep.
These animals are the smallest known hoofed animals on earth, it is important to know that these animals are not deers at all but got their name because of their looks, they possess no horns at all, the babalac mouse-deer or pilandok have dark brown color with white stripes at some part of their body like the throats.
These animals are on the list of endangered species in the Philippines because of their size, they are just big enough to attract attention but not to defend themselves or escape easily by running. Pilandok is a known vector or carrier of the hantavirus.
Location: Ramos island, Apulit island, Balabac island, Bugsuk island, and Calauit islands in Palawan.
Diet: They eat leaves, flowers, and other vegetation in the forest.
Height: About 18 inches.
The number of surviving individuals: No estimate.
Reasons Why They Are Endangered
- They are hunted by men for their meat.
- Loss of habitat to agricultural, commercial, and residential developments.
Red-vented Cockatoo
The red-vented cockatoo is a species of parrot that is found only in the Philippines and it is also among the endangered species in the Philippines. The scientific name of the red-vented cockatoo is Cacatua Haematuropygia and is also known as the Philippine cockatoo and is locally known by the names: katala, abukay, agay, and kalangay.
They can easily be differentiated from other species of parrots by the red feathers that grow around their vents. Their overall body color is white and they also have hairs standing on their head like that of some ravens. This bird has been on the list of critically endangered species in the Philippines since 2017.
Location: They can be found in the Philippine archipelago.o
Diet: They feed on seeds, fruits, flowers, and leaves.
The number of surviving individuals: 470 – 750 individuals.
Reasons Why They Are Endangered
- Loss of habitat due to deforestation by mankind.
- Captured by man for use as pets or cage birds.
- The red-vented cockatoo is hunted for feeding on farm crops.
Rufous-headed Hornbill
This species of hornbills are listed on the list of critically endangered species in the Philippines, the population of this very colorful and beautiful bird has been on the decrease in recent years. This bird has a very spectacular head shape colored red and purple, a body of red, purple, and orange colors, giving it a very unique look.
Diet: They eat mostly fruits.
Location: it can be found on the island of Panay and Negro.
The number of surviving individuals: No estimate.
Reasons Why They Are Endangered
- Hunting and poaching by humans.
- Loss of natural habitat to man.
Negros And Mindoro Bleeding-heart Doves
These two species of doves are found only in the Philippines and are among the endangered species in the Philippines. They are called bleeding hearts because on their chest is found a patch of red or orange feathers that makes it look as if their heart is bleeding.
The population of these very elusive animals is rapidly decreasing as they suffer so much persecution. The scientific name of the Mindoro bleeding-heart dove is Gallicolumba platenae while the scientific name of the Negros bleeding-heart dove is Gallicolumba keayi; interestingly both are on the list of critically endangered species in the Philippines.
Diet: Omnivorous.
Location: The Negro bleeding-heart dove can be found in the Negro and Panayès lush rain forest while the Mindoro bleeding-heart dove can be found only in Mindoro island.
The number of surviving individuals: For the Mindoro bleeding-heart dove there are about 500 individuals left and about 75-374 individuals of the Negro bleeding-heart doves are left.
Reasons Why They Are Endangered
- They are hunted for food.
- Negros and Mindoro’s bleeding-heart doves are captured for use as pets.
Irrawaddy Dolphin
The Irrawaddy dolphin is a species of dolphin that belongs to the family of oceanic dolphins and is on the list of critically endangered species in the Philippines. They look like the white whales(belugas) but are more closely related to the killer whales (Orca).
Location: They are found in coastal areas of the Philippines, Bangladesh, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, and India.
Diet: They eat varieties of fish, shrimps, squids, and even octopuses.
The number of surviving individuals: No estimate.
Reasons Why They Are Endangered
- Excessive fishing by humans.
- Irrawaddy dolphins are threatened by habitat degradation and destruction due to pollution by humans.
- Climate change.
- Accidental catch in fishing nets.
Philippine Naked-backed Fruit Bat
The Philippine naked-backed fruit bat is one of the critically endangered animals in the Philippines. Its population has been heavily declining in recent decades, they are the largest known cave-dwelling bats in the Philippines.
As early as 1970 these bats were declared extinct but in 2008 the IUCN confirmed the sighting of specimens of them and they were put on the list of critically endangered animals in the Philippines.
Location: Can be found only in Cebu and Negros.
Diet: They feed on fruits.
The number of surviving individuals: No estimate.
Reasons Why They Are Endangered
- Deforestation is the main reason why Philippine naked-backed fruit bat is endangered.
- Excessive hunting by humans for meat.
- Habitat destruction and degradation.
Conclusion
In this article, I have written down the top 15 endangered species in the Philippines and information about them regarding locations, diet number of surviving individuals, etc. Most of these animals listed in this article are endemic to the Philippines and the major cause of their depopulation is human-oriented; so we appeal to all readers: Help conserve them now!
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