Palawan sights
Calauit Safari Park
An unusual island game reserve off Busuanga where African giraffes and zebras — descendants of animals brought in the 1970s — roam free alongside endemic Palawan wildlife such as the Calamian deer and mousedeer.
About
Calauit Safari Park is one of the most surprising attractions in the Philippines: an African-style game reserve on a Philippine island. In 1976, as part of an international effort to rescue wildlife from drought-stricken East Africa, a group of animals — giraffes, zebras, impala, and others — was shipped to Calauit Island off the coast of Busuanga in northern Palawan and released into a specially created reserve. Decades later, their descendants still roam the grasslands, and visitors can ride out to feed giraffes by hand and watch zebras graze against a backdrop of tropical sea and islands. The reserve doubles as a sanctuary for endemic and threatened Philippine species too, including the Calamian deer, Palawan mousedeer, and the Philippine porcupine. Reaching Calauit is a commitment — a long land-and-boat journey from Coron town, usually as a full-day tour — but the strange, memorable spectacle of giraffes on a Palawan island makes it a unique add-on for animal lovers.
Good to know
Opening hours and entry fees vary by season — check before you visit.