Description of the attraction
Sibalom Natural Park is located in Antik province on Panay Island, part of the Visayas. On the territory of the park with an area of 5 thousand hectares, one of the last corners of an untouched floodplain forest has been preserved, where you can find rare species of plants and animals that are on the verge of extinction. Sibalom, stretching from Mount Porras to Mount Igmatindog, was created in 2000 by decree of the President of the Philippines.
Until now, the park has not conducted an in-depth study of the local flora and fauna, but scientists already know that the park's ecosystems are incredibly diverse in biological terms. It is home to 59 species of birds, the survival of half of which depends on the state of the floodplain forest, and 8 species are Filipino endemic - Walden's hornbill, Sayan hornbill, white-winged larvaeater, Negro chicken pigeon, etc. Among mammals, you can find such rare animals, like the Visayan spotted deer and the Visayan warthog, both are critically endangered and only live in the Western Visayas region.
In the forests of Sibaloma, you can also see the Philippine dipterocarp trees - white lauan and large-flowered Diptera, as well as several types of fruit trees. Here one of the largest flowers in the world grows - rafflesia, a very vulnerable species.
Different types of plants and animals thrive in different parts of the park. So, for example, on the slopes of mountains at an altitude of 300 to 800 meters, you can see sika deer and monkeys galloping on deciduous trees such as narra. Many species of birds feed on the meadows - munias, sparrows, woodpeckers. The vegetation here is represented by shrubs of the cylindrical imperate type.
Many rivers and streams flow through the territory of Sibalom, and its lakes are full of fish and other aquatic life. In the vicinity of the Mau-it River, placers of semi-precious stones are found - jade, jasper, opal, onyx and agate.
The inhabitants of Antique province believe that these forests and mountains are an integral part of their life, which provides them with clean water and air, and on which their own well-being and survival depends.
