Wallowing site observations of the Philippine Tamaraw <Bubalus mindorensis> Heude, 1988 (Artiodactyla: Bovidae) using camera trap data

Due to the combination of anthropogenic and natural stressors, the endemic Philippine Tamaraw Bubalus mindorensis was divided into four distinct subpopulations. Currently, the largest population is found within the protected Mts. Iglit-Baco Natural Park. Wallowing is one of the most important behavioral adaptations of B. mindorensis to address heat stress but it has remained understudied. With the species facing a continuous threat of extinction, the future conservation plan for the species needs to be carefully strategized, bringing attention to further understand its wallowing behaviour in the wild. Using camera trap technology, the wallowing activity of Tamaraws was photo-captured in a wallowing site of Mts. Iglit-Baco Natural Park. The site was continuously monitored for three years utilizing two sets of cameras capturing opposite sides for a total of 517 independent wallowing events over 1096 sampling days. The photographic data reveal a solitary and diurnal behaviour of Tamaraw wallowing. The correlation of detections with climate variables reveals temperature as a direct driver of B. mindorensis wallowing. This study presents the baseline data of the wallowing behavior of the otherwise data deficient species and brings attention towards its management and conservation practices.