Bohol boys save tarsier

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines—A Philippine tarsier with bruises around its eyes fell from a tree in Habitat Village in this city on Saturday and was rushed to a wildlife sanctuary for treatment.

Niño Lopena and his three friends in Barangay Bool were looking for some spiders around noontime when they saw the tarsier drop into the shrubs. They picked up the 5-inch long tarsier, the smallest primate in the world, put it inside a small pouch and brought it to a village councilor of Bool.

“Tarsiers occasionally appear in our place. This was not the first time a tarsier was found here,” said Willie Maestrado, the councilor who received the sick-looking tarsier.

Maestrado called the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) but no one answered the phone.

He then dialed the Telephone and Radio System Integrated Emergency Response (Tarsier) 117 for help.

At 2:30 p.m., personnel of Tarsier 117 and Maestrado brought the tarsier to the Philippine Tarsier and Wildlife Sanctuary (PTWS) in Corella town, around 10 kilometers north of Tagbilaran.

Carlito Pizarras, PTWS caretaker, was on hand to check the tarsier.

The tarsier is female, about 5 inches long, weighs about 120 grams and approximately 2-3 years old. The Philippine tarsier (Tarsius syrichta) is usually found in Bohol province.

The little creature appeared weak and had bruises around the eyes, confirmed Pizarras, who is also known here as “Tarsier Man.”

The tarsier will be kept under observation before it will be released to the forest.