Endangered: The Alluring Tamaraw Quiz

Answer: Philippines

This beautiful creature can only be found on the island of Mindoro in The Philippines, which has also given way to one of its other common names - the Mindoro dwarf buffalo. This island is considered a biodiversity hotspot, but is also home to many endangered species.

The species was first recorded on the island in 1888, where it lived undisturbed due to a low human population. Once widespread across the island, the actions of humans have forced the creature into just small pockets of land in the mountains.

Not only is it the country's only endemic species of bovine, it is also its largest native land-dwelling mammal.

Answer: Short and V-shaped

The tamaraw has two short, backwards-facing, triangular, v-shaped horns protruding from its head. The males' horns are slightly larger than those of the females. These horns can grow up to 51cm long and are used for fighting and grazing purposes. Unfortunately, they have also drawn the attention of poachers.

The tamaraw is stocky, with black hair and patches above the eyes resembling eyebrows. Its appearance means it is often confused with the carabao, another native water buffalo, however the horns (the carabao's horns are more C-shaped) and markings on their fur help distinguish them from each other.

Answer: Solitary

The tamaraw is solitary, with meetings between individuals short and infrequent. Males and females will generally not interact except in mating season, and males can turn aggressive towards each other. In fact, while usually shy towards humans, the tamaraw is known to be quite aggressive if cornered, with the males especially prone to this. Little is understood about communication methods between individuals due in part to their elusiveness, solitary nature and small population, however it's thought that the species utilises auditory signals, physicality and scents to communicate.

Answer: Mud wallowing

Wallowing in mud pits appears to be an important behaviour for the tamaraw and is shared by many other species of bovine. It's believed that the mud is used by the creature as a form of natural insect repellant. Tamaraws are also nocturnal, and this is believed to be an adaption to their current circumstances rather than a natural behavioural trait.

Answer: Rainy season

Tamaraws mate during the dry season, from December-May. After a long gestation period of about 300 days, tamaraw females give birth around the rainy season (during or just after), especially occurring in December and January. Calves typically spend two to four years with their mother before reaching maturity, and females give birth to a single calf at intervals of roughly two years. Males and females generally do not interact outside of mating, and little is known of their mating habits.

The average lifespan for a tamaraw is approximately 20 years.

Unfortunately, captive breeding has been notoriously difficult, requiring close wild protection over breeding programs for continual survival.

Answer: Forest

Tamaraws prefer mountainous, forested regions in thick bush close to grassland to allow for grazing. An ideal area for a tamaraw is really the forest edge, allowing for easy access to water, food and escape into denser regions. In the early twenty-first century the tamaraw has spread across the island and adapted to living in less than ideal circumstances due to human settlement.

Answer: Sugarcane

The tamaraw likes to graze on wild sugarcane and cogon grass. They have also adapted to feed on young bamboo shoots as food sources dwindle. The indigenous Batangan population also provide a source of food through their traditional slash-and-burn agricultural habits, with tamaraws known to feed on grass shoots in burnt out areas. Once known to graze near human habitat, the tamaraw has been forced to avoid human contact by eating at night away from populated regions.

The grazing habits of tamaraws has been historically important for controlling grass populations on the island.

Answer: 2000

The IUCN Red List placed the tamaraw onto the critically endangered list in 2000, with the wild population reducing from a thriving 10,000+ individuals during the early 1900s to just 154 in 2000. The tamaraw was first declared as endangered in 1996, and held an "inadequately known" status prior to this.

The tamaraw is particularly prone to danger as a large terrestrial mammal found in only one known region. In 1979, Executive Order No. 544 was signed by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, Snr. to create a Presidential Committee dedicated to the continual protection of the species, calling the creature a "source of national pride". Numerous organisations have dedicated resources to protecting the species, including the Haribon Foundation, and some habitat areas have been protected as wildlife sanctuaries.

Answer: Cattle

Non-native cattle were introduced to Mindoro in the 1930s for agricultural purposes. This led to an outbreak of rinderpest severely diminished the wild tamaraw population. Rinderpest, a fungal disease causing fever and diarrhoea, is believed to be spread by water sharing and has a high mortality rate.

The tamaraw population was numbering in the thousands before the epidemic and has struggled to recover since.

Answer: Habitat destruction

Largely due to logging and clearing for human habitation, the forested areas tamaraws prefer have rapidly declined over the years, restricting the tamaraw's available habitat and leading to population decline. Human hunting for food and sport has also been an historical issue, with this practice outlawed and enforced since 1936. Encouragingly, the population has been steadily increasing since this low point, with an estimated 382 tamaraws counted in 2014 thanks to local conservation efforts. Time will tell if this trend continues, or if we lose this beautiful species forever.