Kagwang. The Misunderstood Gliding Mammal of the Philippines
When Filipino locals hear the word kagwang, there are two things that come to mind: ugly and animal. The word kagwang has been used since the old days by Filipinos as an adjective used to call things ugly or unattractive. On the other hand, the kagwang is also the local name of the Philippine colugo or the Philippine flying lemur (Cynocephalus volans). Despite the name, it is neither a flying animal nor a lemur. Instead it is a gliding mammal that is known for its stretch of skin from limb-to-limb that gives it its gliding abilities as they travel to different trees.
Short description
The kagwang is one of the least known gliding mammals of Bohol, a province in the Central Visayas. There are different fur patterns and colors of the animals; most observed colors are brown, ashy, and spotted colugos with a yellow patch in the middle of their eyes. Locals observe the animal gliding from coconut trees during the dusk and dawn. Some locals hunt and eat them, while others are afraid of its intimidating image as they say it resembles a bat when it is gliding at night. Others even consider or think of the animal as ugly and its local name has been coined and given another meaning by people from the Visayas.
Despite the misconceptions, the Philippine colugo remains stealthy and tame. They avoid humans, only have plant-based diet, and do not make loud noises unless threatened. Some even observe maternal behavior as they often see young Philippine colugos hold on to their mother upon traveling.
Kagwang – least studied animal of Philippines
The Philippine Colugo is among the country’s least studied animals. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has labeled the species as ‘Least Concern’ back in 2008 but as of now, there is no update regarding its actual population count and conservation status. Researchers and locals have hypothesized the Philippine Colugo to be threatened due to the amount of deforestation and natural disasters such as the Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) and Rai (Odette) that has affected the forests and landscapes of which the Philippine colugos live.
Colugo – Foundation’s research object
There is therefore a dissonance between the lowest conservation status of this species and the lack of any data on it. Kahibalo Foundation is well aware of this, while at the same time knowing that these animals are hunted by local people. We have, therefore, accepted the challenge to obtain more data on the Philippine colugo in studies we want to carry out over the next few years to determine if indeed this species should be overlooked in wildlife conservation strategies as it has been so far.
Author: Sophia Socorro Del Mar (USC’s student)