Calauit Safari Park

Calauit is an island at the northwestern corner of Busuanga where, in 1977, a consignment of African animals - giraffe, zebra, waterbuck, eland, impala - was released onto grassland as part of a conservation transfer from Kenya. Several of the species bred and their descendants still graze there, which produces the odd sight of giraffes against Palawan scrub. The park also holds native animals: Calamian deer, found nowhere else, Palawan bearcat, porcupine and mouse deer, mostly in enclosures near the visitor area. The visit is a guided circuit by truck across the grassland, a stop where giraffes come to be hand-fed leaves, and a walk through the native section. Getting there is most of the day.

History

The island was declared a game preserve and wildlife sanctuary on 31 August 1976. Between May 1976 and August 1977, 104 African animals of eight species, among them 15 giraffes and 15 zebras, were brought here, and with no predators their numbers grew to 201 within five years; today reticulated giraffes and Grévy's zebras still roam the park alongside native Calamian deer (Wikipedia, Calauit Safari Park).

Highlights

• The giraffes - descendants of the 1977 transfer, coming to the feeding platform for leaves.
• The zebra and antelope herds - grazing the open grassland on the truck circuit.
• The Calamian deer - the endemic deer found only in this island group.
• The native enclosures - bearcat, porcupine and mouse deer in the section near the entrance.

When to go

November to May is the dry season, when the road across Busuanga is passable and the crossing calm. Tours leave Coron town very early because of the travel time, and the animals are most active in the morning before the heat. The wet season turns the last stretch of road to mud and trips are often abandoned.

Practical notes

Two to three hours each way on a rough road for perhaps ninety minutes in the park is a poor ratio, and it consumes a full day of a Coron trip. The native-animal enclosures are small and dated and some visitors find them uncomfortable. The giraffe feeding is a managed set piece rather than a wild encounter. Costs are high because transfers dominate the price.

Nearby

Coron town and the Busuanga hot springs are on the way back.

Key facts