Calauit Island National Park — Attraction in Busuanga

I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND ANYONE TO GO TO THIS SAFARI PARK. I attended as part of a week long organised trip with a tour company. The initial impressions were that it was a cool place where the giraffes and zebras were free to roam. However, this quickly changed when seeing the first giraffe with large bloody and oozing cuts along his back legs. The large majority of the giraffes also had these injuries. When I asked what they were from the tour guide mentioned that the giraffes like to rub on the sharp bamboo and injure themselves, I don't know if this is true but it looked very unnatural. Then we were brought to the 'small zoo' which had porcupines, turtles, givet cats, alligators, monkeys and a python. My heart broke when I saw these animals and the conditions that they were being kept in. The cages were tiny and unsanitary. It looked like they hadn't been opened in years and the water the animals were living in was stagnant and disgusting. The space provided to the animals was disgraceful, especially after seeing the giraffes and zebras 'roam free'. The guide was also quiet unfair to the animals in my opinion, touching and aggrivating them purposely trying to get a reaction for the audience. The porcupines were terrified, the monkeys were depressed and the givet cats looked like they had completely given up. The python was HUGE and needed an enclosure 5 times the size to what was provided to him. I understand that Busuanga Island is a poorer island and that I shouldn't have expected alot from a Safari park, but I really thought all animals would be roaming free or with at least humane living areas. If you can not provide ethical and humane treatment DO NOT keep these animals for show. I am embarrassed to know that I even paid towards funding this place. So heartbroken after attending. PLEASE READ THIS REVIEW AND DO NOT ATTEND. UNETHICAL...

The controversial Calauit Safari Zoo. Where each tourists pay for 100.00PHP Environmental fee for the Municipality of Busuanga but the people working in the Safari doesn't get paid as of January 2019 according to the Zoo staff herself. Animals doesn't get enough food and that they only eat rice with salt. The staff still welcome us, accommodate us warmingly but I don't get why they're not paid for this. It is just a mini zoo and the zoo staff told us that sometimes there's an illegal hunting of the animals happening there. I hope the Government can do something or will know about this. 😥

On the side note, I love our interactions with the Giraffes and Zebra. I even get to hold the Water Turtles. Some of the animals in the Zoo are donated. Like the Snake, it was donated to the zoo because its getting bigger and the original owner is afraid it might eat kids in his house. They got the Turtles from a buy bust operation where Chinese was arrested from trying to sell the turtles illegally outside of the country. There's even a monkey and hedgehog.

I got All of the information from our tour guide.

If there's a chance I'll definitely bring my...

We visited the safari in March 2024. It was a bit dismaying to see some giraffes with severe wounds on their bodies. On a positive note, the caretakers are tending to the injured giraffes with medication. The wounds are inflicted by their own actions due to their animal behavior and are not a result of human interaction at the safari.

I spoke with someone (who shall remain anonymous for privacy reasons) who shared insights into the safari's situation. They mentioned that the safari is in great need of proper management by the local government or whoever has jurisdiction. Additionally, there are illegal hunters on the island targeting wild animals. Although the island is supposed to be a sanctuary, some people disregard the lives of these innocent animals.

This statement is not meant to criticize the area or those responsible but to raise awareness about our actions and the importance of protecting the animals at Calauit Safari National Park. It's a great place to visit and learn about different animals and their characteristics. I would love to visit again in the future and hope to see improvements...