extinction of Palawan Pangolin, Philippine

Cockatoo, Mindoro dwarf buffalo, and

Philippine Cycad.
 The Philippine pangolin

• The Philippine pangolin or Palawan pangolin, also

locally known as balintong, is a pangolin species
endemic to the Palawan province of the
Philippines. Its habitat includes primary and
secondary forests, as well as surrounding
grasslands.
 How did the pangolin become extinct?

•The Bornean Giant Pangolin (Manis paleojavanica) went

extinct about 40,000 years ago, likely as a result of
overexploitation following the arrival of humans,
and pangolin populations in many parts of the world are
facing the same threat today.
 What if pangolins go extinct?
• If pangolins go extinct, there would be a cascading
impact on the environment. “Pangolins save us millions
of dollars a year in pest destruction. These shy creatures
provide a vital service and we cannot afford to overlook
their ecological role as natural controllers of termites and
ants.”
 The red-vented cockatoo
• The red-vented cockatoo, also known as the Philippine
cockatoo and locally katala, abukay, agay or kalangay, is
a critically endangered species of cockatoo that is
endemic to the Philippines. It is roughly the size and
shape of the Tanimbar corella, but is easily distinguished
by the red feathers around the vent.
 Why is the cockatoo endangered?

•The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced the

final listing of three cockatoo species under
the Endangered Species Act (ESA). ... Each of these
species has experienced a significant decline in population,
primarily due to poaching from the wild for the pet trade and
habitat destruction.
 
 Benefits of the red-vented cockatoo
• Benefits of this approach were threefold: firstly,
poaching as one of the main threat factors was
immediately removed; secondly, with the help of the
ex-poachers secured, the program gained valuable
local knowledge on the biology of the cockatoo,
location of nest trees, even how to treat and feed
rescued birds.
 Mindoro dwarf buffalo
• The tamaraw or Mindoro dwarf buffalo is a small
hoofed mammal belonging to the family Bovidae. It
is endemic to the island of Mindoro in the
Philippines, and is the only endemic Philippine
bovine. It is believed, however, to have once also
thrived on the larger island of Luzon. Critically
Endangered (Population decreasing)
 Why are tamaraws important?

•Given their current small population size, tamaraws are

not likely to play a dominant role in the ecosystem
processes of present-day Mindoro. The
historical importance of tamaraws in the Mindoro
ecosystem is unclear, although they may have influenced
vegetation succession through their grazing and wallowing.
 Philippine Cycad
•  Any gymnospermous plant of the order Cycadales,
intermediate in appearance between ferns and the
palms, many species having a thick, unbranched,
columnar trunk bearing a crown of large, leathery,
pinnate leaves.
 Is cycad already extinct?

•Today only a handful of cycads still exist, and many are

facing possible extinction in the wild (such as Microcycas in
western Cuba). Cycads are in danger of becoming extinct both
because they live in endangered habitats such as tropical forests,
and because they grow so slowly and reproduce so infrequently.
 Benefits of Philippine cycad
• In many cases cycads are used only as a famine food. For
many cultures they hold symbolic/reverential status and are
venerated or used during ceremony and ritual. They are
often highly prized as ornamentals and used as bonsai.