They're short, shy and fierce, but for the tamaraws (Bubalus mindorensis) of Mindoro - time is fast running out.
Rinderpest, habitat destruction & hunting
Just over a century ago, an estimated 10,000 tamaraws grazed and bred throughout the island of Mindoro. But the population has taken severe blows - ranging from a crippling outbreak of Rinderpest in the 1930s to incessant land clearing and trophy hunting. Only about 300 of the wild dwarf buffalo remain - holding out atop the grassy slopes and forest patches of Mts. Iglit, Baco, Aruyan and Calavite in Mindoro.
Endemic to 1 island
Though considered incredibly tough, the tamaraw (like the Komodo dragon) is a narrow-distribution species, wholly endemic to Mindoro. This Philippine dwarf buffalo is now classified by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as critically endangered - the highest risk rating for any animal species.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/tamaraw-dwarf-buffalo.html#cr
