SOS Horses

In a remote area in the south of the Philippine Islands is a place called Bohol. Here is where you can find the Philippine tarsier. It is endemic to this area and has been around for over 45 million years. Decades ago the tarsier was a familiar animal in ran forests around the world, but this has changed dramatically since then. The question of whether animals and humans can live in harmony rises again. Now this endangered species is the main attraction for tourists traveling to this province.

Unfortunately, the tarsier is still under threat in spite of its status as an endangered species. Because of urbanization where forests and jungles are being plowed down to give to way to homes, towns, agricultural land, the tarsier are fast losing their homes. They are also being sought after by those involved in illegal trade since its endangered status has jacked up the price of a live tarsier.Sadly, these endangered species are unable to breed in captivity. They turn on each other instead because they do not appreciate the lack of freedom.From the thousands of tarsiers in Bohol during the 1960s, this number has now dwindled to 1,000 living in the wild. They are losing their hot and humid habitat with the loss of trees and misty hills. In the name of progress, these hills are being leveled to make roads or start farms.

In a country where poverty is all around, food for humans and a better way of life through access to jobs and a better income is of a higher priority than safeguarding the tarsier. It’s a difficult situation to have to wrestle with human life vis-à-vis the protection of the tarsier. Even the meager funds available to protect the environment is a fight between the numerous endangered species in the country. At present, the only thing saving the tarsier from extinction is the tourist angle where they are being used to attract more visitors to the area.