One of the main finds during the excavation was the discovery of another tiger bone (Panthera tigris), a basal phalanx or part of the toes. The first bones were recovered from Ille Cave and Rockshelter, West Mouth excavation in 2004 and date back to at least 12,000 years ago. This represents the first evidence of the past existence of the tiger in Palawan.

This discovery also supports various theories about environmental changes in the past such as the expansion of polar ice sheets which lowered sea levels.

According to Dr. Philip Piper, a member of the ASP faculty, it is probable that tigers first entered Palawan Islands  from Borneo Island  620,000 or 420,000 years ago by traveling across the Balabac Strait - www.BalabacCOM when the distance between the two islands was intermittently reduced to a mere few kilometers. He said their existence in Palawan indicates that such movement is possible due to the environmental conditions, and could also be done by other species, even early humans.

Body parts of tigers were usually used in trade and other cultural practices but the bones discovered did not have any signs of human modifications except those similar to the discarded remains of other human prey. This suggests, according to Dr. Piper, that not only was the tiger hunted or scavenged at that time but that the animal was a true inhabitant of Palawan.

Dr. Piper also said that the survival of the tiger still needs to be verified by further archaeological research, but the eventual extinction was probably caused by a combination of factors such as the isolation of its population, vast reduction in habitat, diminishing food resources, and possibly predation by people