Tamaraw

What is the Tamaraw?

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The Tamaraw looks a lot like the common carabao, although smaller. The mature Tamaraw stands only about three feet high at the shoulder and weighs 300 kilograms. Besides its size, the Tamaraw has several physical characteristics that distinguish it from its bigger cousin.

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The Tamaraw has smaller V-shaped horns unlike the carabao?s which are large and C-shaped. The Tamaraw also has denser hair that varies from dark brown to grayish black in color. Also, the Tamaraw is a wild and fierce animal very unlike the domesticated carabao. If cornered or disturbed in its natural habitat, the Tamaraw will attack and pursue the intruder relentlessly. The indigenous Mangyans of Mindoro rightly respect the Tamaraw and keep their distance from it.

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Life and Reproduction

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A lone Tamaraw is rare sight, but it is an even rarer sight to see two or more Tamaraws traveling together. Tamara are largely solitary. Males and females may associate throughout the year, but only for a few hours at most. It has been suggested that the solitary nature of the Tamaraw may be an adaptation to a forest environment, where large groups would prove to be a hindrance to movement.

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The only relatively lasting relationship between the animals is that between a mother and her calves. As a rule, Tamaraws give birth to only a single offspring after a conception period of 276-315 days. They have an interbirth interval of two years. However, one female was observed to be accompanied by three juveniles. Calves will stay with their mothers for 2-4 years , after which they go off on their own. Tamara have a lifespan of about 20-25 years.

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The Tamaraw is primarily a grazer, feeding on grasses, and sometimes, young bamboo shoots. It is also a picky eater; it will eat cogon and talahib only when these grasses are young and still soft.

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Before Mindoro saw an influx of immigrants from all over the Philippines, Tamara were diurnal?they lived, moved and fed during the day. Today however, Tamara have become largely nocturnal?they now live and move during the night to escape humans who have encroached into their natural habitats.

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Even today when the hunting of Tamaraw is strictly prohibited, poachers continue to target this animal. In 2003, members of Bantay-Tamaraw arrested six people for hunting Tamaraw.

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Humans have obviously done a lot of damage to Mindoro?s ecology in general, and to the Tamaraw?s survival in particular. However, humans can also do a lot to halt the decline of Mindoro?s environment and prevent the Tamaraw from becoming extinct.

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