Tiger fossils found in Palawan cave reveal giant wildcats once roamed the Philippines

Fossils discovered inside a cave in Palawan have revealed that the world's largest wildcat, the tiger, once roamed the island around 20,000 years ago, a recent study published in the Cambridge Archaeological Journal found.

According to Kuya Kim's report on "24 Oras," Tuesday, the fossilized bones were unearthed in 2016 in Pilanduk Cave in Quezon, Palawan.

Over several years, researchers from the University of the Philippines Diliman, the National Museum of the Philippines, and the Indigenous Palawan community carefully examined the remains before confirming they belonged to Panthera tigris, or tiger.

The study's lead author, archaeologist and University of the Philippines School of Archaeology Associate Professor Dr. Janine Ochoa, said the tiger is locally known as "harimaw" in parts of Malaysia and Indonesia.

"Halimaw sa Filipino, malamang ito ay hiram na salita mula sa salitang harimaw. Siya ay isang malaki, mabilis, malakas at matalino klase ng tigre," Ochoa said.

The discovery provides the earliest evidence that tigers naturally inhabited Palawan in prehistoric times.

"Sa Palawan lang siya natin nakikita. May kinalaman 'yon doon sa kanyang biogeographic history. Malapit kasi yung Palawan sa isla ng Borneo at noong matandang panahon ay meron ding tigre sa Borneo. So maaring nakatawid 'yung tigre mula Borneo hanggang Palawan," Ochoa said.

Among the nine tiger fossil specimens analyzed, researchers found cut marks on three bones, suggesting they had been butchered or processed by early humans.

"Mayroong tatlong buto na nakakitaan natin ng bakas ng paghiwa o pagkatay. Base sa ganitong ebidensya, pinagpapalagay natin na maaaring ginamit ng sinaunang tao sa Palawan 'yung mga bahagi ng katawan ng tigre. Partikular, maaaring 'yung balat o paa," she said.

"Maaaring may pagkilala 'yung mga sinaunang tao sa Palawan doon sa pagiging makapangyarihan ng tigre. Pero kung ano 'yung particular na dahilan, hindi talaga natin matutukoy."

She also said that the discovery is significant not only because it documents the oldest evidence of tigers in Palawan but also because it represents the earliest archaeological evidence showing how ancient Filipinos may have used parts of the animal.

"Napaka-importanteng discovery nito dahil una nga ito ang pinakamatandang ebidensya natin na nagkaroon ng tigre sa Palawan 20,000 taon na ang nakakaraan. Ito ay matatagpuan sa lupaing ninuno ng mga Palawan sa Maasin, Quezon," Ochoa said.

"At itong pagkakatuklas na ito ay napaka-importante rin para sa kanilang komunidad. Ito 'yung pinakamatandang archaeological evidence natin ng ganitong klase pagtrato o pamamaraan ng paggamit ng mga bahagi ng katawan ng tigre." —Jade Veronique Yap/MGP, GMA News