BY ELLALYN DE VERA-RUIZ
“Kalibasib,” the lone surviving Philippine tamaraw (Bubalus mindorensis) bred in captivity, died last Saturday, Oct. 10.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) OIC Assistant Secretary for Climate Change and concurrent Director of the DENR-Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) Ricardo Calderon confirmed the death of Kalibasib in a text message.
“(Before it died), Kalibasib had a slight diarrhea. It was already sent to the San Jose Municipal Veterinary Office in Occcidental Mindoro for necropsy,” Calderon said.
“Old age is also suspected as the cause of its death because he was born in 1999,” he added.
Kalibasib, which is short for Kalikasan Bagong Sibol (nature newly sprung), was born on June 24, 1999, making him 21 years old on his death. Experts say a Philippine tamaraw could live up to 20 to 25 years.
Kalibasib was the first and only Philippine tamaraw to be born and bred in captivity, housed at the Mindoro Biodiversity Conservation, Research and Educational Center, formerly the Tamaraw Gene Pool Farm, located in Brgy. Manoot, Rizal, Occidental Mindoro.
Twenty adult tamaraws, including Kalibasib’s mother “Mimi” were taken from the wild when the Tamaraw Gene Pool Farm was opened in 1980. The farm was part of the captive breeding program of the DENR to conserve the Philippine tamaraw, which is endemic to Mindoro. (Ellalyn de Vera-Ruiz)
