Wildlife in the Philippines, you can find a lot of fascinating animals in their zoos and also find even more excitement underwater when you go diving. But even walking in the streets can give you a very adventurous time, especially if you live in the US or Europe.
Dogs
Filipinos love their dogs. Although there was a time not so long ago when eating dog meat was common here, and one Filipino author even wrote a book entitled The Dog Eaters. But the Internet changed that quickly enough.
Since tourism is a very big deal here and the government didn’t appreciate having foreigners accuse Filipinos of being inhumane, dog-eating was outlawed and now such a practice has become very rare (at least officially).
You’ll find dogs in the streets, and for the most part, you won’t find collars. These dogs have learned to adopt a “live and let live” philosophy, so they won’t bother you if you don’t bother them. The only problem is when a dog is not allowed to go roaming in the streets—they become quite attached to their home and property so they bark a lot when they see a stranger.
Cats
Many of the cats you see here don’t have owners. They just go from place to place trying to find food from garbage bins, but if you find one on your property and you want to keep it, then you just leave your leftovers for them. Soon they’ll stay with you on a permanent basis, and then all your rodent problems are solved.
Rats
While city rodents are a problem all over the world, here they are actually farm rats that don’t eat garbage. They eat grain, so they’re pretty clean. Some locals even eat them just as some people eat squirrels or raccoons in other countries.
Birds
There are plenty of birds in the Philippines, even in highly urbanized cities like Manila. They can be very noisy in the morning, but you won’t notice them since there are noisier things going on in the streets.
Bats
In the city, when the sun is about to set, you may notice some “birds” in the sky with weird flying motions. If you look more closely, you will realize that those things aren’t birds, they’re bats. And no, they’re not rabid and they won’t attack you.
Roosters
Roosters are everywhere in the Philippines. These roosters aren’t for eating, they’re for cock-fighting. While dog-fighting is almost unheard of here, cockfighting is a national pastime. Even government officials are open advocates of cockfighting. They actually have competitions in the big cities which can fill up entire arenas.
What’s more, some of these regular cockfighting competitions are shown on television. There are more than a couple of shows devoted to it, and some foreigners such as those from the American South, participate as well. And these shows even show slow-motion replays of spectacular moves.
Spiders
Local kids like to pit spiders against one another, and they do this until they grow up and graduate to betting on fighting cocks. It’s one of those things that are common around here especially in the provinces.
The Philippines is a different country and it has a different culture. Once you accept that, then you’ll appreciate it even more. Just be careful of certain places where there are giant crocodiles. Just kidding! (Actually, it‘s not a joke—Google it!)
Cheers,
Sean
Share this blog to your friends:
