Tamaraw
256514
225179062
2008-07-12T08:53:31Z
Jonathan Cardy
4071608
disambig Buffalo
{{Taxobox
| name = Tamaraw
| image = mindorensis.jpg
| image_width = 250px
| status = CR
| trend = down
| status_system = iucn2.3
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]]
| classis = [[Mammal]]ia
| ordo = [[Artiodactyla]]
| familia = [[Bovidae]]
| subfamilia = [[Bovinae]]
| genus = '''''[[Bubalus]]'''''
| species = '''''B. mindorensis'''''
| range_map=Tamaraw distribution map.PNG
| range_map_caption=Range map in green
| binomial = ''Bubalus mindorensis''
| binomial_authority = ([[Pierre Marie Heude|Heude]], 1888)
}}
The '''Tamaraw''' ('''''Bubalus mindorensis''''') or '''Mindoro Dwarf Buffalo''' is a small hoofed mammal belonging to the family [[Bovidae]].<ref name="ITISBM">{{ITIS | ID = 625123 | taxon = Bubalus mindorensis | year = 2007 | date = 17 March}}</ref> It is [[Endemism|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 greater island of [[Luzon]]. The tamaraw was originally found all over Mindoro, from sea level up to the mountains (2000 meters above sea level), but because of human habitation, hunting, and logging, it is now restricted to only a few remote grassy plains and is now an [[endangered species]].<ref name="IUCN2006"/>
Contrary to common belief and past classification, the tamaraw is not a subspecies of the local [[carabao]], which is only slightly larger, or the common [[Domestic buffalo|Water buffalo]]. In contrast to the carabao, it has a number of distinguishing characteristics: it is slightly hairier, has light markings on its face, is not gregarious, and has shorter horns that are somewhat V-shaped.<ref name="haribon">{{cite web | last =Fuentes | first =Art | authorlink =Art Fuentes | title =The Tamaraw: Mindoro's endangered treasure | work =Haribon | publisher =Haribon Foundation for the Conservation of Natural Resources | date =[[2005-02-21]] | url =http://www.haribon.org.ph/index.php?q=node/view/130&PHPSESSID=f07b7a39774972130ec811e029e12f5d | accessdate = 2007-03-17 }}</ref> It is the largest [[native]] terrestrial [[mammal]] in the country.
==Anatomy and morphology==
''Bubalus mindorensis'' has the appearance of a typical member of its [[Bovidae|family]]. It has a compact, heavyset, [[bovine]] body, four legs that end in [[Hoof|cloven hooves]] and a small, horned head at the end of a short neck. It is smaller and stockier compared to the Asiatic water buffalo (''[[Bubalus bubalis]]''). There is little [[sexual dimorphism]] in the species although males are reported to have thicker necks.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wildcattleconservation.org/SpeciesFactSheets/bubalus-mindorensis.htm |title=Tamaraw ''bubalus mindorensis'' Heude, 1888 |accessdate=2007-07-12 |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=wildcattleconservation.org |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= }}</ref> The tamaraw has an average shoulder height of 100 to 105 centimeters. The length of the body is 220 centimeters while the tail measures 60 centimeters. Estimated weights for females are between 200 to 300 kilograms.
Adults have a dark brown to grayish color and more hair than ''Bubalus bubalis''. The limbs are short and stocky. White markings are seen in the hooves and the inner lower forelegs. These markings are similar to that of the Anoa ''[[Bubalus depressicornis]]''. The face is the same color as that of the body. Most of the members of the species also has a pair of gray-white strips that begins from the inner corner of the eye to the horns. The nose and lips have black skin. The ears are 13.5 centimeters long from notch to tip with white markings on the insides.
Both sexes grows short black horns in a V-shaped manner compared to C-shaped horns of ''Bubalus bubalis''. The horns have flat surfaces and are triangular at their base. Due to the regular rubbing, the tamaraw's horns have a worn outer surface but with rough inner sides. The horns are reported to be 35.5 to 51.0 centimeters long.<ref name="UltimateUngulate">{{cite web | last =Huffman | first =Brent | authorlink =Brent Huffman
| title =''Bubalus mindorensis'': Tamaraw | work =www.ultimateungulate.com | publisher =Ultimate Ungulate.com | date = [[2007-01-02]] | url =http://www.ultimateungulate.com/Artiodactyla/Bubalus_mindorensis.html
| format =html | doi = | accessdate = 2007-03-17 }}</ref>
==Distribution==
The tamaraw was first documented in 1888 on the island of [[Mindoro]]. Before 1900, Mindoro was unpopulated due to [[malaria]]. However as anti-malarial medicine was developed, more people settled on the island. This increase in human activity has drastically reduced tamaraw population.
By 1966 the tamaraw's range was reduced to three areas: [[Mount Iglit]], [[Mount Calavite]] and areas near the [[Sablayon Penal Settlement]]. By 2000, their range was further reduced to only two areas: the Mounts Iglit-Baco National Park and Aruyan.<ref name="AnimalInfo">{{cite web | last =Massicot | first =Paul | authorlink =Paul Massicot | title =Animal Info - Tamaraw | publisher =Animal Info | date =[[2005-03-05]] | url =http://www.animalinfo.org/species/artiperi/bubamind.htm | format =htm | accessdate =2007-03-18}}</ref>
Initial estimates of the ''Bubalus mindorensis'' [[population]] on [[Mindoro]] was placed at around 10,000 individuals in the early 1900s. Less than fifty years later in 1949, the population had dwindled to around a thousand individuals. By 1953, fewer than 250 animals were estimated to be alive.<ref name="OryxKuehn1977">{{cite journal | last =Kuehn | first =David W. | authorlink = David Kuehn| title =Increase in the tamaraw | journal =Oryx | volume =13 | issue = | pages =453 pp. | date =1977 | url = | doi = | id = ISSN: 0030-6053 / EISSN: 1365-3008 | accessdate = }}</ref> These population estimates continually grew smaller until the [[IUCN]] publication of their 1969 Red Data Book, where the tamaraw population was noted to be an alarmingly low 100 heads.<ref name="IUCN1969">{{cite book | author=International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources | authorlink = IUCN| title =1969 IUCN 1969 Red Data Book. Vol. 1 - Mammalia | publisher =IUCN | date =1969 | location =Morges, Switzerland| pages = }}</ref> This head count rose to 120 animals in 1975.<ref name="Oryx1989d">{{cite journal | last =| first = | authorlink = | title =Major effort to save the tamaraw | journal =Oryx | volume =23 | issue = | pages =126 pp. | date =1989 | url = | doi = | id = ISSN: 0030-6053 / EISSN: 1365-3008 | accessdate = }}</ref> Current estimates place the wild tamaraw population from thirty to two hundred individuals.<ref name="IUCN2006"/>
==Ecology and life history==
As a rare, endemic mammal on a relatively secluded island, the ecology of the tamaraw is largely unstudied and unrecorded. This is largely due to the fact that individuals of the species are reclusive and shy away from humans. In addition, the small sizes of the species' subpopulations, already spread thin throughout their fragmented range (on 1986, about 51 individuals are found in a 20 square kilometer area),<ref name="Walker 1">{{cite book |last=Nowak |first=Ronald M. |authorlink= |coauthors= |editor= |others= |title=Walker's Mammals of the World |origdate= |origyear= |origmonth= |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=7W-DGRILSBoC&pg=PA1149&dq=tamaraw+solitary&sig=WIQZJ3tj64zpLDMkLoPnyNL890E |format= |accessdate= |accessyear= |accessmonth= |edition= |series= |date= |year=1999 |month= |publisher=JHU Press |location= |language= |isbn=0801857899 |oclc= |doi= |id= |pages=1149 |chapter= |chapterurl= |quote= }}</ref> make contact with any more than a solitary individual a rarity.
===Habitat===
''Bubalus mindorensis'' prefers [[Tropical dry forest|tropical highland forested]] areas. It is typically found in thick brush, near open-canopied glades where it may graze and feed on grasses. Since human habitation and subsequent forest fragmentation of their home island of [[Mindoro]], the habitat preferences of the tamaraw has somewhat expanded to [[Grassland|lower-altitude grassy plains]]. Within their mountainous environment, tamaraws will usually be found not far from sources of water.<ref name="IUCN2006"/><ref name="AnimalInfo"/>
===Trophic ecology===
The tamaraw is a [[grazer]] that feeds on grasses and young [[bamboo]] shoots although it is known to prefer [[Cogon grass|cogon]] and ''[[talahib]]'' (''[[Saccharum spontaneum]]''). They are naturally [[Diurnal animal|diurnal]] organisms, feeding during the daytime hours. However, human activities during the day have recently forced select ''B. mindorensis'' individuals to be [[nocturnal]] to avoid human contact.<ref name="haribon"/>
===Life history===
The tamaraw is known to live for about 20 years with an estimated lifespan of about 25 years. The adult female tamaraw gives birth to one offspring after a gestation period of about 300 days.<ref>[http://genomics.senescence.info/species/entry.php?species=Bubalus_mindorensis Ageing, longevity, and life history of Bubalus mindorensis]. Accessed March 5, 2007</ref> There is an interbirth interval of two years although a female has been sighted with three [[juvenile (organism)|juveniles]]. The calf stays for 2-4 years with its mother and then goes on its own.<ref name="haribon"/>
==Behavioral ecology==
Unlike the closely-related water buffalo, ''B. mindorensis'' is a solitary creature. Adults of the species do not occur in herds or smaller packs and are often encountered alone. Only juveniles exhibit the typical bovine herding behavior and clan hierarchy often seen in water buffalo.<ref name="Kuehn1986">{{cite journal | last =Kuehn | first =David W. | authorlink =David Kuehn | title =Population and Social Characteristics of the Tamarao (Bubalus mindorensis) | journal =Biotropica | volume =18 | issue =3 | pages =263–266 | publisher = | date =September 1986 | url =http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0006-3606(198609)18%3A3%3C263%3APASCOT%3E2.0.CO%3B2-C#abstract | doi =10.2307/2388495 | id = | accessdate = 2007-03-17 | month =Sep | year =1986 }}</ref> Males and females are known to associate all year round but this interaction lasts only a few hours. It has been suggested that this solitary behavior is an adaptation to its forest environment.<ref name="haribon"/> Adult males are often solitary and apparently aggressive while adult females can be alone, accompanied by a bull, or three young of different ages.<ref name="Walker 1"/>
Similar to other bovines, the tamaraw wallows in mud pits. It has been suggested that this behavior is employed by the animals in order to avoid biting insects.<ref name="McMillan2000">{{cite journal | last =McMillan | first =Brock R. | authorlink =Brock McMillan | coauthors =Michael R. Cottam, Donald W. Kaufman | title =Wallowing Behavior of American Bison (''Bos bison'') in Tallgrass Prairie: An Examination of Alternate Explanations | journal =American Midland Naturalist | volume =144 | issue =1 | pages =159–167 | publisher =The University of Notre Dame | date =July 2000 | url =http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0003-0031%28200007%29144%3A1%3C159%3AWBOAB%28%3E2.0.CO%3B2-O&size=LARGE
| doi = | id = | accessdate = 2007-03-17 }}</ref>
Another distinct behavior in ''B. mindorensis'' is their fierceness. There are reports concerning their fierceness when cornered although most are unsubstantiated. Threat posture used by the bovine involves lowering of the head, shifting its horns into a vertical position. This is accompanied with a lateral shaking of the head.<ref name="UltimateUngulate"/>
==Evolutionary history==
The presence of ''B. mindorensis'' on the island of [[Mindoro]], coupled with the discovery of fossil bubalids in other islands around the archipelago indicates that the family was once widespread throughout the [[Philippines]].<ref name="Croft2006">{{cite journal | last =Croft | first =Darin A. | authorlink =Darin Croft
| coauthors =Lawrence R. Heaney, John J. Flynn, Angel P. Bautista | title =Fossil remains of a new, diminutive Bubalus (Artiodactyla: Bovidae: Bovini) from Cebu island, Philippines | journal =Journal of Mammalogy | volume =87 | issue =5 | pages =1037 | publisher = American Society of Mammalogists | date =[[03-08-2006]] | url =http://www.bioone.org/perlserv/?request=get-abstract&doi=10.1644%2F06-MAMM-A-018R.1
| doi =10.1644/06-MAMM-A-018R.1 | id = | accessdate = 2007-03-17 }}</ref><ref name="Burton2005">{{cite journal | last =Burton | first =J. A. | authorlink = | coauthors =S. Hedges, A. H. Mustari | title =The taxonomic status, distribution and conservation of the lowland anoa ''Bubalus depressicornis'' and mountain anoa ''Bubalus quarlesi'' | journal =Mammal Review | volume =35 | issue =1 | pages =25–50 | publisher = | date =2005 | url =http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2907.2005.00048.x?journalCode=mam | doi =10.1111/j.1365-2907.2005.00048.x | id = | accessdate = 2007-03-17 }}</ref> In fact, fossil finds in the 20th century have shown that ''B. mindorensis'' were once found on the northern Philippine island of [[Luzon]] during the [[Pleistocene Epoch]].<ref name="Beyer1957">{{cite journal | last =Beyer | first =H. O. | authorlink = | title =New finds of fossil mammals from the Pleistocene strata of the Philippines | journal =Bulletin of the National Research Council of the Philippines | volume =41 | issue = | pages =220–238 | publisher =National Research Council of the Philippines | date =1957 | url = | doi = | id = | accessdate = }}</ref>
As a member of the family [[Bovidae]], the tamaraw's close affinity to the water buffalo (''Bubalus bubalis'') has been validated many times in the past. It was once considered a subspecies of ''B. bubalis'' (as ''Anoa bubalis''), ''Anoa bubalis mindorensis''.<ref name="Bohlken1958">{{cite journal | last =Bohlken | first =H. | authorlink = | coauthors = | title =Vergleichende Untersuchungen an Wildrinden (Tribus Bovini Simpson, 1945) | journal =Zoologische Jahrb cher (Physiologie) | volume =68 | issue = | pages =113–202 | publisher = | date =1958 | url = | doi = | id =
| accessdate = }}</ref> Recent genetic analysis studies of the family members further strengthen this view.<ref name="Wall1992">{{cite journal | last =Wall | first =David A. | authorlink =David Wall | coauthors =Scott K. Davis, Bruce M. Read | title =Phylogenetic Relationships in the Subfamily Bovinae (Mammalia: Artiodactyla) Based on Ribosomal DNA | journal =Journal of Mammalogy | volume =73 | issue =2 | pages =262–275 | publisher =American Society of Mammalogists | date =May 1992 | url =http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0022-2372(199205)73:2%3C262:PRITSB%3E2.0.CO;2-I | doi =10.2307/1382056 | id = | accessdate = 2007-03-17 | month =May | year =1992 }}</ref>
==Etymology and taxonomic history==
The tamaraw was originally described as ''Anoa mindorensis'' by the [[France|French]] [[zoologist]] [[Pierre Marie Heude]] in 1888. In 1958, it was described as ''Anoa bubalis mindorensis'', a subspecies of the then-water buffalo species (''Anoa bubalis'').<ref name="Bohlken1958"/> A little over a decade after, the tamaraw was elevated to species status as ''Anoa mindorensis'' in 1969.<ref name="Groves1969">{{cite journal | last =Groves | first =C. P. | authorlink = | coauthors =
| title =Systematics of the anoa (Mammalia, Bovidae) | journal =Beaufortia | volume =223 | issue =
| pages =1–12 | publisher = | date =1969 | url = | doi = | id = | accessdate = }}</ref>
Later research and analyses of relationships determined the genus ''Anoa'' to be a part of the genus ''Bubalus''. The tamaraw's scientific name was updated into its present form, ''Bubalus mindorensis'' (sometimes referred to as ''Bubalus (Bubalus) mindorensis'').<ref name="MSWBM">{{cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | title = '''Bubalus mindorensis''' | work =Mammal Species of the World (MSW) | publisher =Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History | date =1993 | url =http://nmnhgoph.si.edu/cgi-bin/wdb/msw/names/query/14224 | accessdate = 2007-03-17 }}</ref>
The name ''tamaraw'' has other variants like ''tamarau'', ''tamarou'' and ''tamarao''. It has been suggested that the term ''tamaraw'' came from ''tamadaw'' which is a probable alternative name for the [[Banteng]] (''[[Bos javanicus]]'').<ref name="Blust2005">{{cite journal | last =Blust | first =Robert | authorlink =Robert Blust | title =The History of Faunal Terms in Austronesian Languages | journal =Oceanic Linguistics | volume =41 | issue = | pages =89–140 | publisher = | date =2005 | url =http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/oceanic_linguistics/v041/41.1blust.pdf | doi = | id = | accessdate = 2007-03-19 }}</ref>
==Conservation==
Being an entirely [[Endemism|endemic]] and [[rare species|rare]] land mammal, ''Bubalus mindorensis'' stands as an extremely vulnerable species. Currently, it is classified as a [[critically endangered species]] and has been so since 2000 by the [[IUCN]] on its [[IUCN Red List]] of endangered species. Awareness of the conservation status of ''Bubalus mindorensis'' began way back in 1965 when it was classified as ''Status inadequately known'' by the IUCN. Enough data was gathered on the tamaraw population by 1986,<ref name="IUCN1986">{{cite book | author=IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre | authorlink = IUCN| title =1986 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. | publisher =IUCN | date =1986 | location =Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.| pages = }}</ref> and the IUCN conservation monitoring center declared the species [[Endangered species|endangered]]. Throughout succeeding surveys conducted in 1988,<ref name="IUCN1988">{{cite book | author=IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre | authorlink = IUCN| title =1988 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. | publisher =IUCN | date =1988 | location =Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.| pages = }}</ref> 1990,<ref name="IUCN1990">{{cite book | author=IUCN | authorlink = IUCN| title =1990 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. | publisher =IUCN | date =1990 | location =Gland, Switzerland | pages = }}</ref> 1994<ref name="IUCN1994">{{cite book | last =Groombridge | first =B. | authorlink = | title =1994 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. | publisher =IUCN | date =1994 | location =Gland, Switzerland | pages = }}</ref> and 1996, the species remained listed on the Red List as ''endangered''. The relisting of the species in 1996 fulfilled the IUCN criteria ''B1+2c'' and ''D1''. Criterion ''B1'' indicated that the species' range was less than 500 square kilometers and is known to exist in less than five independent locations. A noticed continuing decline in the population fulfilled sub-criterion ''2c'', given the condition of the population's sole habitat. Criterion ''D1'' essentially required that a population be composed of less than 250 mature individuals; individual counts of the ''B. mindorensis'' population at the time figured significantly lower than this.<ref name="IUCN1996">{{cite book | last =Groombridge | first =B. | coauthors=Baillie, J.| authorlink = | title =1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. | publisher =IUCN | date =1996 | location =Gland, Switzerland | pages = }}</ref> In 2000, the tamaraw was relisted on the Red List under the more severe ''C1'' criteria. This was due to estimates that the population would decline by 20% in five years or within the timespan of two generations.<ref name="IUCN2006">{{IUCN2006|assessors=Hedges|year=2000|id=3127|title=Bubalus mindorensis|downloaded=11 May 2006}}</ref><ref name="IUCN2000">{{cite book | last=Hilton-Taylor|first=C. | authorlink = | title =2000 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. | publisher =IUCN | date =2000 | location =Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.| pages = }}</ref>
Many factors have contributed to the decline of the tamaraw population. Over the course of the century, the increase of the human population on [[Mindoro]] has exposed the island's sole tamaraw population to severe [[anthropogenic]] pressures. In the 1930s, the introduction of [[Introduced species|non-native]] [[cattle]] on the island caused a severe [[rinderpest]] [[epidemic]] among the tamaraw population then-numbering in the thousands. [[Hunting]] of tamaraws for food and sustenance has also taken a toll on the species' numbers. The most major factor threatening survival of ''B. mindorensis'' is [[habitat loss]] due to [[Development#Land use|infrastructure development]], [[logging]] and [[agriculture]]. These factors reduced the population of thousands during the early 1900s to less than 300 individuals in 2007.<ref name="IUCN2006"/><ref name="haribon"/>
Due to the decline of the ''B. mindorensis'' population, various Philippine laws and organizations have been created towards the conservation of the species. In 1936, Commonwealth Act No. 73 was enacted by the then-[[Philippine Commonwealth]]. The act specifically prohibited killing, hunting and even merely wounding tamaraws, with an exception noted for self-defense (if one were to be attacked by an agitated individual) or for scientific purposes. The penalties were harsh enough to include a hefty fine and imprisonment.<ref name="CA73">{{cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | title =An act to prohibiting the killing, hunting, wounding or taking away of ''Bubalus mindorensis'', commonly known as tamaraw | work =Commonwealth Act No. 73 | publisher =National Assembly of the Philippines | date =[[1936-10-23]] | url =http://www.lawphil.net/statutes/comacts/ca_73_1936.html | format =html | accessdate = 2007-03-18 }}</ref>
In 1979, an executive order was signed creating a committee specifically geared towards the conservation of the tamaraw. The tamaraw was referred to as a "source of national pride" in the said E.O.<ref name="EO544">{{cite web | last = Marcos| first = Ferdinand E.| authorlink = Ferdinand Marcos| coauthors = | title = Creating a presidential committee for the conservation of the tamaraw, defining its powers and for other purposes| work =Executive Order No. 544 | publisher =Republic of the Philippines | date =[[1979-07-09]] | url =http://www.lawphil.net/executive/execord/eo1979/eo_544_1979.html| format =html | accessdate = 2007-03-18 }}</ref> The [[Tamaraw Conservation Project]] was also established in 1979. The organization has successfully bred a tamaraw, nicknamed "Kali", in captivity in 1999.<ref name="haribon"/> In 2001, Republic Act 9147, or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act was enacted to protect the tamaraw and other endemic species from hunting and sale.<ref>{{cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9147| work = | publisher = | date = | url =http://www.pcsd.ph/Related%20Laws/republic_acts/ra9147.htm| format =htm | accessdate = 2007-03-05 }}</ref> During the 1970s, a gene pool was established to preserve the tamaraw's numbers. However, the project was not successful as only one offspring "Kali" was produced. As of today, only Kali and its mother "Mimi" is left in the gene pooling project. The project was also not improved as the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau shown that the tamaraws were already breeding in the wild. Cloning was not implemented for conservation as the Department of Environment and Natural Resource argued that such measures would diminish the genetic diversity of the species.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Philippines : Endangered Tamaraws breed in the wilds again |url=http://ecologyasia.com/news-archives/2005/oct-05/inq7_051023_1.htm NQ7.net |format=html |accessdate=2007-03-08}}</ref>
A small subpopulation of tamaraw has been found within the confines of the [[Mt. Iglit Game Refuge and Bird Sanctuary]] on the same island of Mindoro.<ref name="Kuehn1986"/>
As of May 2007, ''Bubalus mindorensis'' is on ''Appendix I'' of the [[CITES|Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species]] where it has been since the species was first put on the list on January 7, 1975. With the listing, CITES recognizes the species as [[critically endangered]] and threatened with [[extinction]]. Thus, international commercial trade in the species or any derivatives of which, such as the meat, horns or flesh is considered illegal. While commercial trade in the species is prohibited, exchange for non-commercial reasons such as scientific research is allowed.<ref name="CITESAPP">{{cite web| author=CITES | authorlink =CITES | title =Appendices | work = | publisher =Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna | date =[[2007-05-03]] | url =http://www.cites.org/eng/app/appendices.shtml | format =shtml | accessdate = 2007-08-03 }}</ref><ref name="CITES">{{cite web| author=UNEP-WCMC| authorlink =UNEP-WCMC | title =Bubalus mindorensis | work =UNEP-WCMC Species Database: CITES-Listed Species | publisher =United Nations Environment Programme - World Conservation Monitoring Centre | date = | url =http://sea.unep-wcmc.org/isdb/CITES/Taxonomy/tax-species-result.cfm?displaylanguage=eng&Genus=Bubalus&Species=mindorensis&source=animals&Country=PH
|id=A-119.009.004.003 | accessdate = 2007-08-03 }}</ref>
==Importance to humans==
===Economical and commercial value===
While it is not as heavily exploited as other large, endangered mammals, the tamaraw population on [[Mindoro]] has been subject to some [[Hunting|harvesting]] pressure before [[Habitat conservation|conservation]] efforts were spurred towards the latter half of the 20th century. In light of this, ''B. mindorensis'' has been harvested for its flesh by subsistence hunters on the island. The IUCN has described this hunting as still ongoing in their 2006 Red List report.<ref name="IUCN2006"/>
===In Philippine culture===
<!--replace image asap with one without watermark-->
[[Image:One peso coin 1991 - Tamaraw.jpg|right|thumb|100px|The tamaraw on a currently out of circulation edition of the 1-peso coin.]]
Though the national animal of the Philippines is the [[carabao]],<ref name="Independence">{{cite web
| last = | first = | title =Philippines Independence Day Celebrations | work =National Symbol | publisher =123independenceday.com | date = | url =http://www.123independenceday.com/philippines/national/symbols/ | format = | accessdate = 2007-03-29}}</ref> the Tamaraw is also considered as a national symbol of the Philippines. An image of the Tamaraw is found on the 1980-to-early-1990 version of the one-[[Philippine Peso|Peso]] coins.<ref name="EcoPort">{{cite web | last =Breithaupt | first =Jan | authorlink =Jan Breithaupt
| title =Bubalus mindorensis, Philippines | work =EcoPort Picture Databank | publisher =EcoPort
| date =[[2003-04-29]] | url =http://ecoport.org/ep?SearchType=pdb&PdbID=32573 | accessdate = 2007-03-29 }}</ref>
In 2004, Proclamation No. 692 was enacted to make [[October 1]] a special working holiday in the province of [[Occidental Mindoro]]. In line with the Tamaraw Conservation Month, the aim of the proclamation is to remind the people of Mindoro the importance of the conservation of the tamaraw and its environment.<ref name="Proc692">{{cite press release | title =Proclamation No. 692 | publisher =Government of the Republic of the Philippines | date =[[2004-08-13]] | url =http://www.ops.gov.ph/records/proc_no692.htm| accessdate = 2007-07-28 }}</ref>
In the 1970s [[Toyota]] Motors, through the defunct Delta Motors, built the Tamaraw AUV (Asian Utility Vehicle). Because of its ruggedness and simplicity of design, some examples still survive to this day, and copied by multinational ([[Ford]], [[General Motors]], through Francisco Motors in particular; and [[Nissan]], through Universal Motors in particular) and local manufacturers to this day. Because it is Toyota's AUV, It shares its design with the [[Kijang]], its Indonesian version. During this time Toyota held a franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association, and once naming its team the [[Toyota Tamaraws]] (see below).
During the wake of the Asian van popularity in the 1990s, [[Toyota]] Motors Philippines released an Asian van (still classified as an AUV) called [[Toyota Kijang|Tamaraw FX]] in the Philippines. It was widely patronized by taxi operators and was immediately turned into a staple mode of transportation much like a cross of the taxi and the local [[jeepney]]. The FX eventually evolved into the [[SUV]]-ish [[Toyota Revo|Revo]].
The tamaraw is also the mascot of the varsity teams of the [[Far Eastern University]] ([[FEU Tamaraws]]) in the [[University Athletic Association of the Philippines]], and of the [[Toyota Super Corollas|Toyota Tamaraws]] of the [[Philippine Basketball Association]].
The Tamaraw Falls in [[Barangay]] Villaflor, [[Puerto Galera]] was also named after the bovine.
==See also==
* [[Bubalus]], the water buffalo family
* [[Mindoro]]
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
==Bibliography==
<div class="references-small">
* {{ITIS | ID = 625123 | taxon = Bubalus mindorensis | year = 2007 | date = 17 March}}
* {{cite journal | last =Callo | first =R. A. | authorlink = | coauthors = | title =The tamaraw population: decreasing or increasing? | journal =Canopy International | volume =16 | issue =4 | pages =4–9 | publisher = | date =1991 | url = | doi = | id = | accessdate = }}
* {{cite journal | last =Custodio | first =Carlo C. | authorlink =Carlo Custodio | coauthors =Myrissa V. Lepiten, Lawrence R. Heaney | title =Bubalus mindorensis | journal =Mammalian Species | volume =520
| issue = | pages =1–5 | publisher = | date =[[1996-05-17]] | url = | doi =10.2307/3504276 | id =
| accessdate = }}
*{{cite web | last =Gesch | first =P. | authorlink = | title ='''''Bubalus mindorensis''''' | work =Animal Diversity Web | publisher =University of Michigan Museum of Zoology | date =2004 | url =http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Bubalus_mindorensis.html | format =html | accessdate = 2007-03-17 }}
* {{cite book | last =Heaney | first =L. R. | authorlink = | coauthors =J. C. Regalado, Jr. | title =Vanishing treasures of the Philippine rain forest | publisher =Field Museum, Chicago | date =1998 | location =Chicago, Illinois | pages = | url = | doi = | id = }}
* {{cite journal | last =Momongan| first =V. G. | authorlink = | coauthors =G. I. Walde | title =Behavior of the endangered tamaraw (''Bubalus mindorensis huede'') in captivity | journal =Asia Life Sciences | volume =2 | issue =2 | pages =241–350 | publisher = | date =1993 | url = | doi =| id =
| accessdate = }}
</div>
==External links==
{{commons|Bubalus mindorensis}}
{{wikispecies|Bubalus mindorensis}}
*[http://www.haribon.org.ph/?q=node/view/130 Haribon's tamaraw page]
{{Artiodactyla|R.4}}
[[Category:Bovines]]
[[Category:Mammals of Asia]]
[[Category:Mammals of the Philippines]]
[[de:Tamarau]]
[[es:Bubalus mindorensis]]
[[fr:Tamarau]]
[[it:Bubalus mindorensis]]
[[he:תאו הפיליפינים]]
[[hu:Mindorói bivaly]]
[[nl:Tamaroe]]
[[pl:Bawół mindorski]]
[[pt:Bubalus mindorensis]]
[[fi:Tamarao]]
[[tl:Tamaraw]]