Testing protocols to measure reproduction success of the tamaraw

Last December 2025, TTwT staff conducted a fieldwork with rangers and technical staff of the TCPO and PAMO MIBNP to launch the pilot phase of the calf to cow ratio index.

Two sampling designs are being tested: camera trap and direct sighting from vantage points, limited to Magawang area and Loibfo station in this pilot phase to evaluate the methods.

The team selected 5 locations along tamaraw paths in forest cover and dense vegetation to deploy 10 camera traps set in duo.

Those camera traps shall collect information out of sight from the vantage points where the team will conduct regular sessions, at dusk and dawn, using binoculars and a telescope to attempt identifying age classes from direct observation. 

The second and third sessions conducted at 6 weeks intervals in January and March brought their initial yield of data, which will progressively help analyse which of the two methods is the most appropriate, prior to generalising the protocol on a wider range on the second phase.

The calf to cow ratio index is part of the  Indicators of Ecological Change (IEC) package that shall help monitor tamaraw population at Mts Iglit-Baco Natural Park. It will specifically focus on estimating the reproduction success among mature tamaraw females, a key biological parameter to measure population condition and inform adaptive management strategies.

This initiative is part of Thriving Together with Tamaraw, a consortium led by Re:wild, in partnership with the D'Aboville Foundation and Demo Farm, Inc. (DAF) and the Mindoro Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Inc. (MBCFI), with support from the Biodiversity Challenge Funds (BCF) through UK Aid.