A Place Like Africa

---

It was my first time to go to Calauit Game Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary in Coron, Palawan. Going to Calauit Island from Coron will take you about 3 hours by car and an hour by boat. When you enter the island, you will walk a two kilometer dirt road before you get to enter the main tourist spot. Then you will get to ride on a safari jeep to go near the animals. You can feed the long-necked giraffes with leaves from trees and take pictures with them. You will be amazed by the black and white striped zebras in a horde that can be viewed from afar. The first time I saw them was when I was in the zoo where they were in cages. You will be astonished by this experience because you can see freely roaming wild life.

I didn't know that there was such a place like Africa here in the Philippines. Calauit is an island that can be compared to Africa simply because of the existence of wild life that can only be found in that continent. You will be amazed by the presence of zebras, giraffes and wild deer in their natural habitat. However, the animals in this island are very small compared to the ones in Africa because they are of Philippine Breed. According to our tourist guide, lack of budget is the reason for their relatively small size. The sanctuary is now operated by the local government.

In 1970 these animals were imported by President Ferdinand Marcos. He went to different Islands here in the Philippines, where he searched islands that will be capable of being inhabited by these wild life creatures. The animals were even imported in the Philippines from Kenya. The Calauit Game Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary is truly a must-see place for nature lovers and animal lovers alike.

---