The page on a US adventure website offering Mindoro rare wildlife for trophy hunting could no longer be accessed a day after it stirred an internet uproar.
Early Friday morning, the section of Adventures411.com advertising a Mindoro safari became inaccessible following an exposé made by The Mindoro Post on the website’s hunting promo for “some native species you simply cannot hunt anywhere else in the world.”
Links showing mostly Caucasian hunters with their “trophies” were also posted on the social networking site Facebook, triggering a long thread of reactions from outraged members, mostly Filipinos.
As of Friday afternoon, the Philippine page on the adventure site remained open (sans the safari section), only to display “Not Found” error message too later.
The Mindoro Post on Thursday ran a story on the Mindoro wildlife hunting promo posted on Adventures411.com.
For a fee of $13,800, the Montana-based website said a trophy hunter has the “privilege” to shoot water buffaloes, forest buffaloes, bearded warty pigs and wild boars.
“Small Jungle Cats are available as possibilities present themselves; including the Black Philippine Jungle Cat, Large Palm Civet Cat and Small Palm Civet Cat,” it said.
“Possibilities for Asian Sambar Deer, Mouse Deer and Saltwater Crocodile exist but collection permits will have to be researched for the time of the planned safari and provided to you before collection,” it added.
On Friday, the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau issued an advisory sternly warning that wildlife hunting is illegal in the Philippines.
“We would like to categorically state that wildlife hunting in the Philippines is prohibited,” Antonio Manila, PAWB OIC assistant director, said.
“Any person who will be found hunting in any part of the Philippines will be dealt with the full force of Republic act 9147 (Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act) and other relevant laws,” Manila said.
Wildlife hunting in the Philippines is a crime punishable by imprisonment of five days up to 12 years and a fine of P200 up to P1 million.
mindoropost.com 
Let the Hunters Be the Hunted !
Update I
Here’s what i found out. One of the safari Hunter awardee in pics shown on the Adventure411.com website is *David Hanlin (posing with his trophy Carabao), a Weatherby Foundation Int’l Awardee, also a member of Safari Club International (SCI). Weatherby is a Hunting Preservation and Wildlife Conservation Foundation based in the USA. David Hanlin was Weatherby 2005 awardee for Hunting and conservation at the foundation’s 48th annual award dinner in Reno, Nev. The award presenter was former Vice President Dan Quayle. X-Pres George Bush is also a member. Included in the Weatherby Hunting and Conservation award is a $5,000 honorarium which the foundation donates to a conservation organization chosen by the winner.(Imagine David Hanlin illegally Hunting endangered Tamaraw in the Philippines, receiving award and USD 5,000 grant from a USA foundation for doing so?)
Hanlin’s “hunting and conservation” activities also include being a member and/or contributor to numerous organizations. These include: SCI, where he has served on and chaired a number of committees; North American Elk Foundation; International Sheep Hunters Association; United for Conservation SA; Boone & Crockett; Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation; National Rifle Association; and Weatherby Foundation International.
The Weatherby foundation and Safari Club have have wildlife hunting safaris within the USA of federal Hunting regulations.
Another person on the Safari hunting pics is *Michael Valencia* posing with his wild boar trophy. I’m doing a trace already on this “Trophy Hunter.”
News of adventures411 comes three years after blogs exposed a foreigner named *Jay Carlson* who offered similar hunting tours through a website called Mindoro Safaris. A senator, Miguel Zubiri, had made a privilege speech blasting environment officials for failing to act since Carlson began his outfitting operations in 2002 with the help of a tribe called the Mangyans.
Carlson “pioneered some fascinating hunts for Asian water buffalo and Philippine sambar deer,” Zubiri had said. The senator also cited Carlson’s first client, *Truman Clem*, as saying, “The hunts are best marketed to the Safari Club International (SCI) hunter/collector who is looking for unique species found nowhere else.”
So my kababayans, the Philippines has become the targeted hunting grounds of these Bigtime International Wildlife Safari Trophy Hunters .
The Truth is We really have no idea if there are on going Wildlife Safari Hunting expeditions in our country at this very moment. Hunting guides are paid very good wages. Bribery are very common in these kind of activities. They just enter as tourists. Instead of bringing their Hunting Rifles, they will just make arrangement to purchase hunting rifles locally thru Filipino safari coordinators.
Ok mga kababayans, will keep you updated.
Let the Hunters Be the Hunted!
Salamat !
Juan Masipag
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Let the Wildlife Hunters Be The Hunted!
I am once a hunter during my younger days. i have been a hunter by curiosity. i hunted alone daytime or nighttime, i track my own game from Musangs to deers, wild boars, wildducks, eagles, quails, monitor lizards, crocodiles, fruit bats. I learned how to make different traps like Open pit and Snares. I can sense and smell scents of animals in the forest. Snakes smells a little like fish. Alamid smells like “Pinipig”. In the dark flashlight reflects the eyes of Deers- white , wildboar – red, Giant Fruit bats”Bayakan” eyes reflects blue light, while the Monkey’s eye’s dosent give any reflection at night ( Just like Man).
But i am now a wildlife lover and protector.
I still go on wildlife safari nowadays still armed with my Remington Cal.22 semi automatic long rifle only for protection. I find it great to appreciate wildlife by bird watching, forest wildlife trekking, not hunting or shooting any more.
But it will be much more exciting for me to hunt these wildlife trophy hunters.
If you have any info regarding “Wildlife Hunting Safaris” in your provinces, please send me email. no need to mention your name, just give me exact location – barangay/municipality.
I’ll do the rest.
Let the Hunters Be the Hunted !
Salamat !
Juan Masipag
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Those who are involved in monitoring and reporting these wildlife hunters are commended. Enough is enough. The country’s natural resources keep getting abused too long and heavily. Keep up the superb work and God bless!
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Here are the threads in Facebook:
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PAPAANO NAKAKALUSOT ANG HUNTING NA GANITO? Pls call the attention of the authorities… (thanks for being vigilant Jo) Iyang bang mga foreigner na iyan ay nakikita niyo sa Occidental/Oriental area? Pls share – let the people know and kung ILLEGAL iyan, dapat mahinto. ENDANGERED species ba iyan?
Rose Paez
that was a year ago and was caught attention of the concerned authority.. But thats not a TAMARAW thats a carabao. I posted photo of the Tamaraw at MINDORENOS FB account (see the identity)
Dinez Lim
thanks Ate Rose… LAHAT ba kalabaw? or may isa sa pic na tamaraw?
Dinez Lim
it looks ‘active’ pa … gaya ng sabi sa website nila:
‘Fully booked for 2010, but now taking deposits for safaris in 2011 and 2012. ‘
Rose Paez
main difference ay sa “sungay”
Allan Siquioco
personal ko barilin mga hunter na yan…. mga bastos at walang pag-galang sa ating bayan….
Allan Siquioco
http://www.haribon.org.ph/
Randy Zubiri
hehe buti nga sila nagbabayad pa ng malaki eh. ung iba nga trip lang. pinoy pa yun ha. haha.
Wilson Almogela
sick.
Dinez Lim
KALABAW daw iyan hindi tamaraw….
Theodore Ignacio
parang tamarraw un isa na maliit ang sungay…but im sure di sa mindoro occ. nangyayari yan..pero kung me sightings kayo,i pa salvage natin sa mga NPA mga lintek na yan na uubos ng yamgn guabat natin..sorry ofr the bad words, im just furious with this kind of adventure…sila kaya patakbuhin natin sa gubat at unahan kung sino makaka baril sa kanila?
Dinez Lim
Dinez Lim
May mga maliliit ang sungay… At active pa website… 2011 naghahanap pa ng booking….
FAO mga opisyales…
I could understand the emotions pero it will help if we forward the issues to the concerned authorities… PNP? Immigration? Tourism? HARIBON? Etc…… See more
PLS EMAIL or CALL them… NEED action in this issue… Thanks…
Marco Antonio Manuel
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9147
Section 1. Title. This act shall be known as the “Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.”
Section 28. Penalties for Violations of this Act:
imprisonment of a minimum of six (6) years and one (1) day to twelve (12) years and/or a fine of One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00) to One million pesos (P1,000,000.00), if inflicted or undertaken against species listed as critical;
Noel N. Guerrero
whoever uploaded the link, our thanks. everyone should really be on watch on this matter. pls be informed that as a government worker, i shall be drafting a letter today for the concerned government offices to investigate on this matter. hope the site is just a hoax but it is always best to be on watch.
Felix C. Bautista Jr.
Thanks Marco. These posts may also serve as awareness campaign to all Mindorenos and Filipinos that tamaraw (Bubalus mindorensis) is not the same with carabao (Bubalus bubalis). The distinctive feature of tamaraw is its v-shaped horns. Tamaraws are only found in Mts Baco- Iglit. There were also reports that there are few at Mt. Calavite. For additional info: please refer to PAWB website. http://www.pawb.gov.ph
Felix C. Bautista Jr.
I checked the photos on their website (www.adventures411.com), all are carabaos. By the way, hunting and poaching in the Protected Areas are probihited as mandated by RA#9147.
Noel N. Guerrero
FYI to the persons interested, my office had already made a letter and signed by the LCE and am sending the same to agencies we think can help us investigate on this matter- government offices and conservation groups alike.
Felix C. Bautista Jr.
for further info about tamaraw, please follow this website:http://www.ultimateungulate.com/Artiodactyla/Bubalus_mindorensis.html
Noel N. Guerrero
copies of the letters from our end will be sent to the governors office occidental mindoro, governors office oriental mindoro, congresswomans office lone district of occidental mindoro, congressmans office oriental mindoro, denr secretary national office, abs-cbn, gma network, haribon foundation. fyi
Felix C. Bautista Jr.
@noel: Thanks for your immediate action. It is now the high time to tell the Filipino people and the world
about the current situation of the conservation efforts for the tamaraws. We have to take action now before these mammals that serve as distinctive identity of our province will be extinct.
Noel N. Guerrero
will upload the letter later.. maybe some who has contact infos of the agencies concerned can have it electronically forwarded for a more swifter act.
Dinez Lim
PLEASE have a quick e-mail to the ff:
It’s wonderful to see people are working together for ‘improvement’, need a little effort from you to make things MOVING and have favourable results. Thanks to Noel indeed.
DENR… See more
http://www.denr.gov.ph/directory-osec
osec@denr.gov.ph,hea@denr.gov.ph,usecppo@denr.gov.ph,sco@denr.gov.ph,legis@denr.gov.ph,
HOUSE SPEAKER VILLAROSA (Congress electronic communication)
http://www.congress.gov.ph/members/search.php?congress=14&id=villarosa-ma
ORIENTAL MINDORO (First District)
RODOLFO VALENCIA
http://www.congress.gov.ph/members/search.php?congress=14&id=valencia
ALFONSO UMALI (2nd District)
http://www.congress.gov.ph/members/search.php?congress=14&id=umali-al
HARIBON
———–
http://www.haribon.org.ph/Contact-Us!
act@haribon.org.ph
(the rest, nasa NOTES section under CONTACT). Thanks.
Dinez Lim
Received copies of letters from the Mayor’s Office address to difft. offices/media.
Will upload later.
Dinez Lim
Here is a write up from MINDORO POST.
https://mindoropost.com/2010/02/27/where-have-all-the-hunters-gone/
PLEASE WATCH OUT… may mga dumating na mga foreigners (white race) sa San Jose, look out for any suspicious activities…
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