Danjugan Revisited
Added to website: 06 July 2004
This year CCC’s Negros Rainforest Conservation Project returned to
Danjugan Island in the Philippines to carry out further surveys as part of the
long-term conservation plan for the island. When Danjugan was designated a Wildlife Sanctuary and Marine Reserve in 2000, it marked one of CCC’s most outstanding successes to date. Lying in the Sulu Sea, 2 km west of Negros Occidental, Danjugan is a stunning island, fringed by turtle -nesting beaches and surrounded by diverse coral
reefs. The dense forests and mangroves are home to several rare species of eagles, orioles, herons and doves.
In March, volunteers returned to update the terrestrial baseline data on Danjugan and to expand the surveys previously completed. So far the surveys have gone well, with volunteers undertaking bird observations, mist netting for bats, and detailed mangrove surveys of the lagoons - a new dimension to the research. In addition, a mangrove
nursery has been created in order to relocate saplings to the mainland for conservation purposes.
The results are promising, with four different bat species found and new bird species being recorded regularly. There is also an abundance of reticulated pythons on the island, which has been exciting for the volunteers! The surveying will continue for two months and will finish at the end of May. The data will be a valuable aid to the long-term conservation of Danjugan’s rich biodiversity).
