WWF-Philippines strongly condemns the Tamaraw poaching incident reported to have happened in the Mt. Iglit-Baco Protected Area in Mindoro last Aug. 28, 2020. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies the species as critically endangered – the highest risk rating for any animal species, and according to the Republic Act No. 9147, or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, it is against the law for any person to willfully and knowingly exploit wildlife resources and their habitats, and this includes the killing and hunting of flagship species such as the Tamaraw.

As of 2019, the estimated population of the Tamaraw is at 480. Since 2012, WWF-Philippines has been working with The Department of Environment and Natural Resources Tamaraw Conservation Program (DENR-TCP), the Mt. Iglit-Baco Protected Area Management Board & Office, the LGU of Sablayan, the Mindoro Biodiversity Conservation Foundation Inc. (MBCFI), Far Eastern University (FEU), and the Tau Buid Tribe to conserve the Tamaraw and to protect its natural habitat.

We commend the efforts of the DENR’s Tamaraw Conservation Program to protect and manage this critically endangered species. We are urging the government to pursue the necessary legal actions to ensure that the poaching of the Tamaraw, and other wildlife and endangered species, can be prevented.

The Tamaraw is a source of great pride for the Philippines and is considered as a national icon. As such, we enjoin each and every Filipino to contribute to its protection and to support our forest guardians as they continue their work, even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.