Visit the Philippine tarsier on the island of Bohol

A Philippine tarsier in its natural habitat      Photo: Michelle C. Lyles

A protected species in the Philippines is the tarsier, a nocturnal prosimian primate found on the island of Bohol in the Central Visayas region. They are only 3-6 inches long, have big buggy eyes, and are considered to be the world’s smallest primates. It is well worth the day trip to visit the island to see this adorable, yet threatened animal, and learn about the efforts to save its existence. Philippine tarsiers were once abundant in the rainforests around the world, but after years of poaching , attempted captivity, and destruction of its habitat, the tarsier’s numbers have dramatically declined and are limited to the jungles of a few islands in the Philippines, Borneo, and Indonesia.
In Luboc, on the way to the floating restaurants along the Luboc River, please avoid visiting these tarsiers kept in cages. These shy and fragile animals have a miserable life in captivity and do not survive for long. I urge you instead to visit the Tarsier Sanctuary, the only place that displays this endangered animal legally and in its natural environment. The institution is dedicated to the preservation and protection of the Philippines tarsier and its habitat, and is located at: The Philippine Tarsier Foundation,
Km. 14 Canapnapan Corella, Bohol 6300 Philippines
Tel: (0912) 5163375
Mobile: (0918) 6021326