Since the first Tamaraw Population and Habitat Viability Assessment (PHVA) in 1996, the Simultaneous Multi-Vantage Point Count (SMVPC) Method has been used for tamaraw population monitoring in Mounts Iglit-Baco Natural Park (MIBNP), where the largest population of the tamaraw can be found. This method requires burning of the grassland landscape to increase the visibility of the animal.
Twenty-two years later, during the 2018 PHVA which led to the crafting of the Tamaraw Conservation and Management Action Plan (2024 to 2033) or TCMAP, one of the key conservation strategies identified was the phase-out of grassland burning employed during the annual Tamaraw count. Grassland burning kills small animals that cannot escape the fire, blocks the natural regeneration of vegetation, accelerates soil erosion, and promotes the growth of invasive species such as "bungarngar" (Chromolaena odorata).
In 2024, the Corridor Alliance Advisory Committee (CAAC), the official coordinating body for tamaraw conservation, endorsed the transition to a new tamaraw population method that has been piloted by D'ABOVILLE Foundation and Demo Farm, Inc (DAF). This method consists of monitoring three indices: abundance, reproduction success, and impact on vegetation; the method does not require burning of the grasslands.
The workshop was attended by the technical staff and rangers of the Tamaraw Conservation Program, Mounts Iglit-Baco Natural Park Protected Area Management Office, and technical staff of the Mindoro Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Inc. and DAF.
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