Photo by Jordan Balintac https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70372201
We all know that the giraffes are the world’s tallest animals, reaching up to a maximum height of 20 feet. We also know where these long-necked gentle giants live, which are the savannah grasslands of Africa, and what they eat, mainly the leaves of the Acacia trees. But while the giraffe thrives in the African Savannah, one question still lingers.
Is it feasible for giraffes to stay in the Philippine islands? The question itself is quite complex with no definitive answer, but in Calauit Safari Park, located on the island of Palawan, Philippines, giraffes and zebras seem to be thriving well and coexisting with local fauna like deer. Though they are thriving for now, it is uncertain how long they will survive in this pristine sanctuary.
Some factors can either make it suitable or unsuitable for giraffes to stay in the Philippine islands. For starters, the Philippines has a year-round tropical climate characterized by consistently high temperatures for most of the year except in high elevations.
While the country may be located in the Tropics like most countries in Africa, the vegetation and landscape of both regions are very different. For starters, Africa has huge acres of savannah grasslands. These savannah grasslands provide large spaces for giraffes to roam, while the scattered Acacia and Baobab trees have leaves that satisfy the taste buds of giraffes.
In contrast, the Philippines is primarily covered by rainforest. Unlike savannah grasslands, rainforests have smaller spaces that can restrict the movement of giraffes. While the vegetation of the Philippines’ rainforests is far more numerous than the savannah grasslands of Africa, the limited space hinders giraffes’ movements.
The inability of giraffes and zebras to thrive in densely vegetated environments led to the clearing of the original rainforest in what is now Calauit Safari Park. The area was transformed to resemble the African savannah, providing the animals with ample space to move freely and helping them adjust to the tropical climate of the Philippines.
Today, Calauit Safari Park is a popular tourist attraction, affectionately called the “Little Africa” of the Philippines due to its free-ranging populations of giraffes and zebras that attract the attention of the tourists, especially those who couldn’t afford to go on an actual African Safari.
Unfortunately, there are downsides to maintaining the population of giraffes in Calauit Safari Park. The latter is located in a region that is frequently hit by storms. A good example of this is in the year 2013, when Haiyan (local name: Yolanda) crossed the island of Palawan, causing damage across the park and causing injuries to animals like Giraffes.
Poaching is also a persistent problem, and despite the conservation efforts, local authorities still end up arresting some people who break into the park to capture and hunt down some animals, with imported species like Giraffes and zebras being very lucrative targets for illegal wildlife trading.
In contrast to the varied gene pool of giraffes living in the savannah grasslands of Africa, the gene pool of giraffes in Calauit Safari Park is somehow limited, increasing the risks of inbreeding and genetic disorders that weaken the overall health of the population. But the biggest challenge is the limited resources needed for taking care of the animals, like veterinary services and food.
In a country like the Philippines, where the economy is still in a developing stage, the cost of maintaining the population of imported animals like Giraffes is very high. In order to maintain these populations, giraffes need a lot of vegetation to survive.
Veterinary care is also an important factor and considering that the Calauit Safari Park can only be reached by boat or by plane, veterinary services were quite limited, and there are only a few people to check up on the giraffes.
Conservation efforts are also an important matter in safeguarding and protecting the giraffes. While the park rangers of Calauit Safari Park are working hard to protect the animals from poachers and hunters, the threat of poaching persists, especially from the residents who consider Giraffes not as a protected species but as a source of food and clothing.
Beyond the shortage of staff needed in caring for the animals, acclimatization is also a big problem for giraffes. Giraffes are naturally more used to the drier environment of the African savannah, and the humid environment of the Philippines makes it harder for them to survive. Cut marks from native plants like bamboo sometimes find their way to the necks of giraffes, resulting in wounds and injuries that attract parasites.
As an introduced species, a giraffe may still pose risks to the local ecosystem of the Philippine islands. They may compete with indigenous fauna like deer for food and water. They may also carry diseases that native animals were not immune to.
Lastly, giraffes can also alter the environment around them, impacting the native plants and the animals that rely on them for survival. To minimize the risks, imported animals like giraffes should be quarantined to ensure that they are free of diseases. Their populations should also be constantly monitored for detecting any potential negative impacts on the ecosystem. There should also be increased awareness about the risks that introduced animals like giraffes may pose.
Overall, the question of whether it is feasible for giraffes to stay in the Philippine islands remains complex with no definitive answer. While the Philippine islands have a tropical climate much like many countries in Africa, the differences in the landscape and vegetation of both regions significantly impact the survival rate of the giraffes themselves.
The limited resources caused by the current situation of the economy of the Philippines, in addition to destructive calamities and the persistent threat of poaching, continuously pose challenges and threats to the population of giraffes in the archipelago. As such, continuous conservation efforts are needed more than ever to ensure that the population of these long-necked gentle giants will continue to endure amidst the adversity.
Still, the thriving population of giraffes (as well as zebras) in Calauit Safari Park shows us that not only it is possible for them to survive in the Philippine islands but to also coexist with local fauna like deer, as long as the habitat and the food sources are beneficial to both them and the local wildlife.
Though they may have originated from the African savannah and was brought specifically to the Calauit Island in Palawan during the Marcos regime, the ability of these imported populations of giraffes to survive countless challenges posed by both the environment and people deeply resonates with the resilience and courage of the Filipinos, who are known to find happiness and humor amidst the darkest times, when injustices or environmental catastrophes are ensuing.
(This opinion piece is authored by Raniel Joseph H. Santiago, a student of AB Communication 2 at La Consolacion University Philippines – Malolos. Raniel, who has a unique fascination with giraffes, shares his insights in this article.)
