Wildlifeof the Philippines
Places
Where to see Philippine wildlife, from Palawan and the Sierra Madre to Mindoro, the Visayan forests and Mindanao's volcanoes.
Why Palawan
Palawan is biologically closer to Borneo than to the rest of the Philippines, which is why it has its own bearded pig, mouse-deer, peacock-pheasant, hornbill and binturong. Offshore, the Calamian Islands and the Tubbataha Reefs add deer, seabirds and some of the best-protected coral in South-East Asia.
Why Luzon
The largest island has everything from the Cordillera cloud forests of Mount Pulag to the Northern Sierra Madre, the country's biggest protected area and a stronghold for the Philippine eagle and the Philippine crocodile. Giant cloud rats, flying foxes and many Luzon-only birds live here.
Why Mindoro and the Visayas
Mindoro's tamaraw, the Visayan warty pig and spotted deer of Negros and Panay, and the tarsiers of Bohol are all found nowhere else. Forest has been heavily cleared across these islands, so each remaining patch is important, and some of the rarest birds in the world survive on single mountains.
Why Mindanao
Mindanao's great volcanoes, Apo and Kitanglad, hold the Philippine eagle and a long list of highland endemics, and the smaller islands to the east and north each add species of their own, from Dinagat's cloud rat to Camiguin's hanging-parrot. Check current travel advice for the region before planning.