Take only Pictures, Leave only carefully placed footsteps, kill nothing but time.
Leave No Trace Principles in Caving :
1.
Plan Ahead and Prepare
Ask permission before entering a cave.
Know the cave and what to expect
Select appropriate equipment
Cave safety
2.
Travel and Camp on durable surfaces (camp only above ground)
Don't camp underground.
Move carefully.
Avoid damaging cave features.
In well traveled caves stay on establishes trails.
In prestine caves choose the path that least impacts the cave.
Minimize your impact at the cave entrance.
Minimize your impact above ground when camping and hiking.
Hiking to cave entrances
3.
Pack it in, Pack it out
Pack out all garbage
Pack out all human waste
4.
Leave what you find
Never remove natural features from a cave.
Avoid disturbing or killing cave inhabitants.
Preserve historical artifacts.
Archeological & Paleontological artifacts.
Photograph carefully and conservatively.
Minimize rigging impacts.
5.
Minimize use and impact from fires (build fires only above ground)
Building fires is unacceptable in caves.
Minimize impacts of compfires above ground.
Name of Caving Site: SUAON NATURES PARK
Eight (8) caves explored by the Davao Speleological and Conservation Society in coordination with the Municipal Tourism Office of the Local Government Unit of Kapalong and are presently identified by the community within the area.
A. KAPUNIT (BAT) CAVE
How the cave got its name? From the local word kapunit meaning bat.
It is the home of three (3) bat species as described in by cave experts from the Philippine Caving Association now Philippine Speleological Society (PSS) who undergo cave exploration on May 2003 during the 3rd national caving congress held in Kapalong. The bats were initially identified as one (1) fruit bat and two (2) insect bats but no technical/scientific name being identified.
Estimated technical descriptions:
◦ Cave entrance opening = 2.0 m x 2.0 m
◦ Down slope from entrance to twilight zone = 32 degrees
◦ Twilight zone chamber height =5.0m, width= 6.0m
◦ Distance from entrance to bat chamber = 100m
◦ Bat chamber: no estimated height and width it is basically huge
◦ Total length of cave from entrance to exit = 365 meters
◦ Exit down slope is 25 degrees.
Cave life found: bats, cricket, centipede, frog
Cave formation: Cave Pearl (Rear cave formation), Large flowstone, Stalactites, Stalagmites, Column, Draperies and Straw.
Accessibility to the cave:
From the Sitio proper (community center) to Kapunit cave = 3.0 kms with an estimated 30 minutes trekking
Kapunit cave is a source of guano in the community
Other information: This cave is declared non-tourist entry. It is considered by the Local Tourism Office as conserved cave for technical or scientific research, and protection and conservation.
Threats: Entry of locales fom neighboring Barangay poaching bats for food/meal.
Cave Classification: Class 1
This cave is mapped and surveyed by DSpeCS with the technical support of Glen Malliet of California, USA and a member of the National Speleological Society.
B. OKBOT CAVE
It was referred and named after a native medicine man named okbot who uses the cave as his ritual site and the shelter of his family during calamity. It was named after him to keep remembrance of his kind deeds and recognize the existence of the Dibabawon Tribe as the early of the place.
It is located near kapunit cave and sayawan cave.
Basic Information:
How to get there? From Community Center to Okbot Cave = 3 kms
Entry to cave opening will pass through a flow stone up-hill.
Cave entrance: W=1.0 m, H = 4.0 m
Total Length from entrance to dead end = 630 m
Stalactites, Stalagmites
Dead end swamp and closed by columns
Cave life found: king cobra, blind fish, cricket, spider, crab, centipede, bumble bee bat and frog.
Other resources : spring from dead end to the cave entrance
Other information: In the year 2003, the cavers of Speleo Davao conducted cave survey. Data/information of the survey is in the possession of the provincial Environment and natural Resources- Davao del Norte Provincial government. The cave is presently one of the site for eco-tourism visits with a carrying capacity of 15 persons per entry.
