Calauit Wildlife Sanctuary is an amazing place located on a small island of the same name, which is a part of the Palawan province of Busuanga. Here you can see exotic African animals and rare and endangered Philippine animals. The reserve was established in 1976 by an executive order of President Ferdinand Marcos after the International Union for Conservation of Nature called on all countries to help save Africa's wildlife.
The total area of the reserve, located north of Palawan Island, is 3,700 hectares. The vegetation on Calauit is represented by lowland forests and mangroves on the coast. Most of the island today is now occupied by plantations and plantations and pastures. Dugongs, sea turtles, giant clams, colonies of coral and many different kinds of fish. Before Calauit was declared a nature reserve, about 200 families lived here and were engaged in fishing. They were later relocated to a nearby island but but there are still ongoing clashes between the settlers and the administration the reserve and the island's government.
The Calauit project was started in 1977 when 8 species of of African animals to see if they could adapt to their new habitat. A total of 104 animals were brought in - giraffes, canna antelopes, zebras, impalas, gazelles, forest antelopes and water goats. Over the past 34 years, the number of animals on the island has grown significantly, and today they coexist with typical Philippine fauna - the Calamian deer, Philippine peacock, Asiatic deer and Palawan bamboo bear. Only the gazelles and topi antelopes have not have been unable to adjust to their new habitat - the last time they were seen was in 1999.
In recent years, Calauit has become a very popular tourist destination. Both local and foreign students regularly come here to conduct research on ecology and other environmental topics. Despite this, there is still much to be done to protect the land and marine life of the reserve. In addition to scientific research, there is a need to create an infrastructure that meets international standards that will allow for streamline the influx of visitors.
