Susanna's Musings

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All around us, the blue sky hid behind the trees, taller than a giraffe’s neck .

Back in January, my family and I, along with other tourists, waited by the shorelines of the river leading to an Underground Cave. We were in Puerto Princesa, Palawan. It is one of the numerous islands of the Philippines. 

We were just about ready to board one of the canoes that journey into the cave. We held onto our lifejackets. And we stood by as other tourists disembarked from the canoes.

“Ah!” a woman soon screamed.

Most of us turned towards her direction. She stood by a wooden table with all of her bags, clothes, and other belongings. Her head tilted upwards and her arms flailed up high as she continued screaming.

A gray and brown furred monkey climbed up one of those narrow, mile-long trees with her water bottle.

We watched as it chugged all of the water before tossing it back down to the ground. 

What I had just witnessed was one of many monkeys or better yet formally known as macaques that inhabit this tropical woodland island of Palawan. They inhabit most of Southeast Asia. Not to mention, these wild animals are the most prominent and seemingly the most approachable mammal. They’re the size of cats, and the males are larger than the females. 

After the ride through the amazing Underground River, which showcased the exquisite rock formations wrought by water, air, and minerals, I walked again into the sandy, muddy woodlands. 

A few people with their large DSLR cameras crowded around a wooden bridge. A couple of macaques lounged on a wooden walkway. I walked up to the male one, who sat like a human. 

“Can I take your picture?” I asked him.

Its light pinkish, brownish face turned to the side.  And I soon photographed Mr. Macaque.

“Whoa! Be careful,” said one of the forest rangers when I advanced closer to him.

The macaques live in the woodlands near some body of water. Be careful with them because if they scratch or bite you, they can transmit a zoonotic disease, which is related to the HIV disease.  Additionally, they’re known to be adept swimmers who can escape predators, such as pythons, large cats, and even feral dogs.

On the whole, Puerto Princesa, Palawan while an island where you can relax and swim around, shelters numerous biodiversities, especially the long-tailed macaque who feel at ease alongside any tourist.

Also I made a mini-video of Palawan. Check it out!

Have you visited the many islands of the Philippines? Take care. 🙂