Calauit Safari Park
Definition
Calauit Safari Park is a wildlife sanctuary on Calauit Island off the northwest coast of Busuanga, Palawan, Philippines, established in the 1970s when African animals — giraffes, zebras, and several antelope species — were relocated to the island as a response to an international appeal during a drought in Kenya. The animals thrived and their descendants roam the island today alongside endemic Philippine species.
The park operates under government administration with feeding tours, and the island also shelters endemic Calamian deer, whose conservation became part of the sanctuary’s later mission.
Identities
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Also Known As
Calauit Island Safari; Calauit Game Preserve and Wildlife Sanctuary
Examples and Analogies
Calauit is a slice of the African savanna transplanted into Palawan: giraffes grazing beside Calamian deer on an island whose original conservation guests simply never left.
Usage Scenarios
Visitors feed giraffes from boardwalk platforms, view zebras and antelope roaming the island, and learn about the Calamian deer conservation program running alongside the exotic species population.
Strategies
The park balances the exotic animal population’s management with native species conservation — the Calamian deer program being the leading example — while developing Busuanga tourism circuits that include the island.
Security and Safety Measures
Feeding interactions follow handler supervision; visitors stay on designated routes among free-roaming animals; park rules govern proximity to giraffes and territorial antelope.
Historical Context
The sanctuary was established in 1976 by presidential proclamation following the Kenyan government’s international appeal during a drought. The African population has remained on the island for nearly five decades, becoming an accidental Philippine conservation institution.
Challenges and Controversies
Debates persist over the presence of introduced African species on a Philippine island and their interaction with native wildlife — an unresolved question in Philippine conservation circles.