The endangered species Manis culionensis, locally known as the balintong or the Palawan pangolin, is set to have its first-ever population size count this year, according to wildlife experts in the province earlier this week.
The conservation efforts for the Palawan pangolin are part of the programs led by Dr. Sabine Schoppe, director of the Palawan Pangolin Conservation Program of Katala Foundation, Inc. (KFI).
In a radio program with the provincial government’s information office on February 17, Schoppe stated that the population study on the critically endangered Balintong began in 2012, although conservation efforts started as early as 2007.
The population study conducted by the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff (PCSDS) was carried out alongside the province-wide assessment by KFI, as part of a joint initiative under the USAID Project Protect Wildlife.
“Results from camera trapping, in combination with mapped indirect signs and home range estimates, will hopefully very soon give us the first estimate of the population size. We haven’t finished the data analysis, but hopefully, by this year, we will have hard data,” she said.
Protect Wildlife was implemented using camera traps and manual population surveys in 12 sites within the Victoria-Anepahan Mountain Range, while the KFI study also encompassed island areas of various municipalities.
Schoppe indicated that initial findings on pangolin populations showed a larger concentration in the northern part of the province, with sparser numbers in the southern municipalities.
Likewise, the municipality of Roxas has adopted the Balintong as one of its flagship species, celebrating World Pangolin Day on February 15.
Studies conducted by PCSDS and KFI on critically endangered local species are not typically published in real-time or immediately to deter those who might exploit the data, as poaching remains the primary threat to the species’ population.
However, the first population estimate will be crucial for pangolin conservation studies, including mapping out population trends.
Furthermore, Schoppe stated that habitat loss and fragmentation have also contributed to the decline in pangolin numbers, as human settlements and activities encroach upon their natural habitats.
