Mount Apo their ascent. Tourism in the region was threatened due to a massive haze engulfing the slopes of the mountain. The mountain later recovered after the government and local stakeholders initiated a holistic recovery plan for the entire national park. The mountain is home to over 272 bird species, 111 of which are endemic to the area. It is also home to one of the world's largest eagles, the critically endangered Philippine eagle, which is the country’s national bird. Lakes – There are four major lakes in Mt. Apo . Popular of these are Lake Agco, used to be called "The
Mount Apo of ; with two peripheral areas of and as buffer zones, provided for its management and for other purposes. Although a declared a Natural Park, the current climbing trails are littered with rubbish by irresponsible climbers, opening paths for soil erosion across the already denuded mountain sides. Some mountain and social climbing groups conduct climbs after the Holy Week/Easter, the peak climbing season, to clean the affected areas. In 1987, the National Geographic Society based in Washington, DC in the United States, published a book entitled, ""Our World's Heritage"", where Mount Apo was noted as a 'site of Word Heritage