Saving West Visayan Wildlife
The Talarak Foundation Inc. is a conservation organisation based on Negros Island of the West Visayas. Talarak started maintaining and breeding some of the most endangered species endemic to the region, before moving into reforestation, site conservation and wild translocations for these species.
The primary goal of the foundation is to conserve and restore the native wildlife of Negros through; captive breeding, conservation education, research, public and political engagement, and releases of captive bred animals back into their natural habitats.
ABOUT
History
The Talarak Foundation was established in 2010 by Fernando Gutierrez and Pavel Hospodarsky in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental. Mr. Gutierrez was an avid wildlife lover and wanted to use the land and resources he had to help protect the endemic wildlife of Negros, starting with a captive conservation center for the endangered and critically endangered Visayan and Rufous Headed Hornbills, Visayan Spotted Deer and Visayan Warty Pigs. read more
Mission
The Talarak Foundation Inc. is committed to protecting populations of regionally endemic species through collaborations, conservation education, research, and restoration of endemic species and habitats, while developing sustainable livelihoods and fostering harmony between communities and the environment.
Vision
Harmony between communities and wildlife, protected and thriving in the West Visayas faunal region.
THE BIG FIVE
The West Visayan Big 5 are a collection of species endemic to the West Visayan Faunal Region which includes the islands of Negros, Panay, Masbate, Guimeiras, Ticao, and Cebu. These 5 species are not only some of the most charismatic and endangered within this range but their life histories and ecology comprise different niches and many of them act as ecosystem engineers within the various forest and grassland habitats of the region.
Using these “Big 5” species as flagships for conservation subsequently provides holistic protection of the habitats, ecosystem functions, and other underrepresented species that share these habitats.
WHERE WE WORK
Wild Negros
Welcome to the wild side. Our field team is working closely with our West Visayan Big 5 in the wilds of Negros Island, assessing the state of remaining populations on the island, along with identifying areas where these species could be restored... read more
Classrooms and Communities
Communication is key, a phrase very true when it comes to conservation. Our outreach and education team strive to make an communicate effectively and establish good relationships with local communities to... read more
Bayawan Nature Reserve
Talarak has reached the final goal in any captive breeding effort and been able to successfully release captive bred animals back into the wild. We have released groups of Visayan Spotted Deer, Visayan Warty Pigs, Visayan Hornbills and more into a 300ha forested site near the City of Bayawan, Negros Oriental... read more
Negros Forest Park
Our biodiversity conservation center is at the heart of our conservation efforts. Here, we take care in raising and breeding our native Negros wildlife in the hopes of reintroducing them back into our forests, while also educating the public about our amazing wild Negros... read more
Upper Caliban-Imbang Watershed
The Upper Caliban-Imbang watershed in Campuestohan near Bacolod City, is a 1,000 hectares part of the Northern Negros Natural Park (NNNP). There are four communities found in the watershed where community organisations benefit from the government reform programs to protect the area... read more