The Balabac Mouse-deer or Philippine Mouse-deer (Tragulus nigricans), locally known as pilandok, is a tiny terrestrial ruminant native to Balabac, Ramos, and Bugsuk Islands located in Palawan. It does not belong to the deer family (Cervidae) but is a member of the chevrotain family.
This animal is known for being small in size, measuring between 40-50 centimeters from head to tail with an average height of 18 centimeters up to the shoulders. It has a black and brown coat with white stripes on the throat and chest, making it hard for them to be spotted in trees and bushes. It usually lives in moist forests and visits mangroves to feed on leaves, fruits, and grasses. Most male pilandoks do not have antlers and use only tusk-like canine teeth on the upper jaw to fight other males for their territory. Unfortunately, they are declared endangered due to various reasons and will be on the verge of extinction if no concrete actions will be taken.
Balabac mouse deers are peculiar in nature. They are generally nocturnal, which is why they can be seen lurking in forests at night to eat food. They are also shy and reclusive as they love to hide, and they suddenly walk away when they suspect that they are being watched. They are very sensitive; they become vulnerable once they are exposed to stress. The saddest fact about them is that they become suicidal, and they tend to slam their heads on trees and jump off cliffs to escape from all the stress.
Moreover, these mouse deers have been categorized as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for many reasons. They are being sold illegally in the wildlife trade; their meat is being consumed as a popular delicacy and their skin can be used to manufacture leather. The mouse deers are being displaced from their habitats which are being turned into agricultural land for coconut plantations. But the major contributor to their declining population is forest degradation.
To this day, the studies regarding these mouse deers and their population are very few and limited. Fortunately, they can still be seen in the wild thanks to the pearl farm located on the Bugsuk Islands, one of the pilandok's three main islands of inhabitation. Hunting is strictly prohibited at the Bugsuk Islands, which is under a long-term lease to a pearl farm. Not everyone can go to the said pearl farm as the access is only limited and it is being guarded by private security. With that being said, the pearl farm is partly responsible for their continued existence in the wild.
Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) has been coming up with solutions on how to halt the population decline of pilandok. There are also laws that prohibit hunting, forest degradation, and illegal wildlife trade, which aim to save and protect Balabac mouse deers from being endangered. There are a lot of protective and environmental measures to do, but as long as we continuously do our part in saving our environment and the planet, we also save those who live in it, too.