MANILA, April 24 (Xinhua) -- The population of tamaraw, the Philippines' endangered native buffalo, has increased to 523, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) data.
Tamaraw, a wild dwarf buffalo with relatively short horns, lives in the mountains of Mindoro island.
In a Facebook page, the DENR Tamaraw Conservation Program said that it has counted at least 523 Tamaraw roaming around the Mt. Iglit-Baco National Park. The count was done from 18 vantage points within the park covering the towns of Sablayan, Calintaan and Rizal in Occidentla Mindoro province, it said.
Tamaraw is on the Red List of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and is classified as critically endangered, the highest risk rating for animal species. The IUCN Red List is the world's most comprehensive information source on the conservation status of plant and animal species.
Wildlife biologist Don Geoff Tabaranza, the project development and resource manager of Mindoro Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, said in 2016 the tamaraw population was 413.
June David, Tamaraw Conservation Program coordinator, said the intensified enforcement and patrolling activities of rangers at Mt. Iglit-Baco resulted in fewer reports of poachers, including indigenous peoples who enter the protected area.
"This is because of a stronger partnership with the local governments," David told local media.
