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The MSU Wild

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Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from The MSU Wild, Wildlife sanctuary, Mindanao State University Main Campus, Marawi City.

Founded in 2023 with passion and pursuit of knowledge and discovery, The MSU Wild is a digital platform showcasing the biodiversity inside the Mindanao State University Main Campus - Marawi.

04/09/2026

Who knew there were actually three dragons here in the campus this MSUSAA Unity Games 2026?

Along with the dragons of CNSM and MSU Zamboanga Sibugay—who have found their nesting grounds within the halls of CNSM—a third dragon quietly crawls along the bark of a fortune plant (𝘋𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘢𝘦𝘯𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴) just beside the Ballesil Building.

During this National Wildlife Day, coming across this Mindanao Flying Dragon (𝘋𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘰 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴), also called Mindanao Flying Lizard, is a fitting way to celebrate our local wildlife.

This familiar species was featured on our page almost a year ago, yet we still cannot help but be in awe of its majestic features. From its elongated body to its remarkable patagium that allows it to glide from tree to tree, there is something almost mythical about seeing a dragon right here on campus.

𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍. 𝑾𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒓 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆. 𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔, 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒆𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒄𝒍𝒊𝒎𝒃𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒘𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒔 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒅𝒂𝒚, 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒖𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒂 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒄𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒖𝒔.

So, the next time you walk outside, try to look a little closer. There is always more to our surroundings than what first meets the eye, and you might just discover a little bit of wildlife along the way.

𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲!

17/07/2026

Did you know that there was a bird we used to call the national bird of the Philippines before the Philippine eagle?

Early in this Friday morning, we were greeted by these two chestnut munias (𝘓𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘢 𝘢𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢) that were actively perching on the different branches of a rose plant (𝘙𝘰𝘴𝘢 sp.) located outside the Aga Khan Museum and Natural Science Museum. These native birds are also called Maya and Mayang-pula of which the names Filipinos are more familiar with. They are distributed across tropical South and Southeast Asia, including the Philippines. They can be identified by their distinct jet-black head and neck that contrast with their brick-red or deep chestnut body and a silvery-blue cone-shaped beak in their adult form while their juvenile or immature form can be distinguished by a plain, uniform sandy brown body appearance, lacking the black and red coloring. These small birds are commonly found in tropical grasslands, marshes, and agricultural fields, feeding almost entirely on grass seeds and grains.

The chestnut munia or maya served as the unofficial national bird of the Philippines in the 20th century. Its unofficial status started during the American colonial period and ended on July 4, 1995 when the Philippine eagle (𝘗𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘨𝘢 𝘫𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘪) was declared as the official national bird of the country to symbolize national pride, strength, and wildlife conservation through the Proclamation No. 615 signed by President Fidel V. Ramos.

04/05/2026

May the 4th be with you this Bird Day! 🐦

Today, we are featuring a bird that is often mistaken for the more popular uwak or Philippine jungle crow (𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘷𝘶𝘴 𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘴) for having similar appearances. Found perching on the branch of a 𝘚𝘺𝘻𝘺𝘨𝘪𝘶𝘮 sp. tree beside the Police Assistance Center - MSU, this bird is actually called the Asian glossy starling (𝘈𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴). This Philippine native bird has several local names such as galansiyang, kulansiyang, and kuling-dagat, with the first two local names particularly associated with their noisy behavior. While both galansiyang and uwak are common black birds in the country, what distinguish galansiyang from uwak are its smaller size, its striking red eyes, its high-pitched metallic calls, and the metallic iridescence of green and purple on its feathers.

This Bird Day, we take part in acknowledging, appreciating, and celebrating the diversity of birds around, especially those that seem to be looking the same but are actually different from each other if we look carefully, just like the galansiyang and the uwak. This is because letting ourselves learn about the bird diversity around us is a big leap towards their conservation.

19/03/2026

Ever wondered who discovers new species?

This Taxonomist Appreciation Day, we celebrate MSU-Marawi’s very own species detectives!

Mark Gregory Q. Rule, a plant taxonomist and a faculty member from CFES, have co-discovered two new species of 𝘉𝘦𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘢 (𝘉. 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘶𝘳𝘶𝘺𝘰𝘵 & 𝘉. 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘪) and a new species of 𝘚𝘺𝘻𝘺𝘨𝘪𝘶𝘮 (𝘚. 𝘤𝘳𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘶𝘮). He also contributed to updating the genus 𝘊𝘺𝘯𝘦 with the rediscovery of 𝘊. 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘭𝘢 and the description of a new species, 𝘊. 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘦.

Meanwhile, Jamael C. Abato, a nemertean taxonomist and a faculty member from CNSM, is uncovering the secrets of the ocean with his team, documenting the uncharismatic yet ecologically important ribbon worms in the Philippines, including the first record of 𝘉𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘴 in Mindanao and the description of 𝘚𝘢𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴, a new species from Surigao del Sur.

Though their work focuses on different worlds—identifying, classifying, and naming plants and ribbon worms—they share the same mission: to expand our understanding of life on Earth. In this commemoration, we hope their discoveries inspire students and the public to explore, discover, and contribute to science.

04/03/2026

Yesterday, March 3, was the World Wildlife Day with the theme: "𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀: 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵, 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘀."

This year's theme highlights the important role of wild plants in sustaining and shaping our diverse cultures and traditions. In celebration of this international day, we do not only commemorate the beauty of these plants, but we also remind ourselves to do our best in knowing them and learning how to help in protecting and conserving them from growing risks like habitat destruction, overharvesting, and climate change.

Featured in this post are some native plants found inside our campus that are known to provide health and livelihood benefits.

27/02/2026

Decades of steadfast growth, leading to one magnificent farewell.

As you walk down the covered path to the College of Social Sciences and Humanities (CSSH), you’ll notice those three amazing inflorescences right beside the English Language Center. They come from a rosette of succulent leaves and are hard to miss! These agave plants (𝘈𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 sp.), with their thorny leaves, are often mistaken for aloes, but they’re not related.

Agave plants are part of the Asparagaceae family, which also includes dracaenas and asparagus. These are slow-growing, perennial succulents that can live for 10 to 30 years, and that's why some species of 𝘈𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 are called "century plants." They’re native to the dry and semi-dry areas of the Americas, like Mexico and the Caribbean. Some agave species are used to make things like liquor and fibers, while others are grown for decoration and landscaping.

One cool thing about these plants is called monocarpy. That means each individual only blooms and makes fruit once before it dies. They grow flowers on tall stalks that can reach really high, either branching out or standing alone. The flowers are full of nectar, which attracts pollinators like bees, butterflies, or bats, depending on the type of plant.

05/02/2026

Guess who stayed despite the suspension of classes?

While walking through the hallways of the Riconalla Building of CNSM, we encountered this large lizard stuck inside a cubicle of one of the comfort rooms. Upon closer inspection, it was clearly much bigger than a common house lizard. It turned out to be a juvenile water monitor lizard (likely 𝘝𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘶𝘴 𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘪).

With only a piece of cloth available, the bayawak was briefly and carefully handled to minimize stress and was safely relocated and released at the back of the building, where vegetation is present.

Before releasing it, we couldn’t help but notice one particularly striking feature. Notice its dark-colored tongue? Water monitor lizards possess a forked tongue with a flesh-colored base and a bluish-grey tip. Similar to snakes, they use this tongue to “taste” their environment through tongue-flicking. The tongue acts as a physical sampler, collecting chemical particles from the environment and transferring them to the Jacobson’s (vomeronasal) organ located on the roof of their mouth. This allows them to detect prey, potential threats, and even pheromones during mating.

Despite this monitor lizard’s preference for moist and water-associated environments, we hope everyone stays dry, safe, and comfortable at home on this rainy day.

29/01/2026

You might have gone too early to your 7:00 AM or 8:30 AM class in the College of Social Sciences and Humanities (CSSH) during this week, but have you seen this pink flowering tree blooming with almost no leaves at the front of the Social Sciences building and the Language Center?

This tree (𝘗𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢 𝘳𝘶𝘣𝘳𝘢), known as Kalachuchi or Kalatsutsi in the Philippines, is a popular garden and park plant that is widely cultivated globally in tropical and subtropical regions for its highly fragrant flowers. The fragrant kalachuchi flowers can be recognized for their colors ranging from white to pink with yellow at the center of each flower. Kalachuchi is also known for being a deciduous tree as it loses its leaves to conserve energy and resources during a short dormant period in the colder months of the year.

Despite being a commonly cultivated tree, kalachuchi is not a native but rather introduced species in the Philippines, and it is actually native to tropical America.

28/01/2026

After a long break from academic pressures, we are now back on campus, welcomed by its cool environment and locking in for the new semester. Despite the cold and seemingly wet weather, the Philippine native narra trees (𝘗𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘱𝘶𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘴) around the campus—such as this one located between the MSU-Integrated Laboratory School (ILS) and the University Cafeteria—are shedding their leaves in response to the incoming dry season.

This process, known as leaf abscission, is a physiological mechanism that allows plants to conserve energy and reduce water loss by limiting transpiration. The same seasonal behavior can also be observed in other native tropical deciduous trees such as talisay (𝘛𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘢) and banaba (𝘓𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘢 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘴𝘢).

24/11/2025

Looks like the College of Social Sciences and Humanities (CSSH) got a winter visitor!

As the scheduled power interruption in the university and across Lanao del Sur was about to cross noontime yesterday, we spotted this migratory "butcher bird," known as the brown shrike (𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘴), perching on a metal rod attached to a post along the covered pathway near the English Lecture (EngLer) hall of CSSH. While it was perching, we thought that it was probably waiting around for a potential prey, could be a gecko or an insect. Being an open area and displaying scattered buildings with grasses and small plants in between, the CSSH premises together with the nearby golf course seem to be a nice spot for this ambush predator to wait around for their preys.

During this winter season in the northern hemisphere, many species of migratory birds, including the brown shrikes, fly to the south from mainland Asia to escape the harsh winter and find food in warmer regions, such as the Philippines, and then they return to mainland Asia when spring comes to breed there. Due to its hospitable, warm climate and its high abundance of food supply (biodiversity), the Philippines continues to be one of the wintering grounds for many migratory birds. Hence, the conservation of various natural habitats in the Philippines and its native and endemic biodiversity is crucial for the survival of such birds.

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Mindanao State University Main Campus
Marawi City

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Monday	9am - 10pm
Tuesday	9am - 10pm
Wednesday	9am - 10pm
Thursday	9am - 10pm
Friday	9am - 10pm
Saturday	9am - 10pm

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