Butanding

Butanding (Rhincodon Typus) or whale sharks, known as the gentle giants of the deep for they are not really dangerous creatures. Tourists even find them gentle and playful.

The Philippine Department of Tourism officially declared the town of Donsol, Sorsogon, a small town in the southernmost tip of Luzon, Philippines as the sanctuary for these large marine species. They measure between 18 to 35 feet in length and weigh about 20 tons. They are easily recognized for their broad head and a random of white dots and lines along their backs.

More than a hundred whale sharks were reportedly killed in Donsol alone prior to the documentation in 1998. The situation is worse in other provinces. The gentle giants were hunted to near extinction off the central island of Bohol.

The Philippine government declared the whale shark as an endangered species in 1998, thereby banning its plunder and exploitation. The Department of Tourism is promoting eco-tourism to protect the whale sharks in Donsol.

The Philippine Tarsier

The Philippine Tarsier, Tarsius syrichta, is a unique animal found only in the central Philippines- Bohol island. It is considered as the world’s smallest primate. It measures 4 to 5 inches, no longer than an adult man’s hand and weigh only about 113 to 142 grams or four to five ounces.

The natural extinction rate that existed for millions of years before humans evolved claimed about two species per year. Today, 1,000 species vanish each year, according to the World Conservation Union. It is considered as one of the endangered species.

The Philippine Tarsier Foundation, Incorporated (PTFI) is a non-stock, non-profit organization supported by two leading government agencies, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Tourism (DOT). To ensure the continued existence of the Philippine Tarsier and to bring tourism to the province of Bohol in a way that is ecologically friendly to the Philippine Tarsier.

The Philippine Eagle

The Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) is one of the largest and most powerful eagles in the world. But it is also among the rarest and most critically endangered vertebrate species. It is found only in the Philippines, in the islands of Luzon, Samar, Leyte and Mindanao.





The Philippine Eagle Foundation is committed to promote the survival of the Philippine Eagle, the biodiversity it represents, and the sustainable use of our forest resources for future generations to enjoy.