Upclose with the Philippine tarsiers
abandon his job as field officer of the sanctuary since he has not been receiving financial support from the government and other concerned agencies.
"The government has been inviting foreigners to visit the sanctuary but it has not supported us financially," Pizarras lamented. "They (government officials) are proud of what the sanctuary has done but they have not done their part."
Concerned government agencies also seem to close their eyes on what is taking place in Loboc town where tarsiers are considered as pets and tourist attraction, Pizarras added. The tiny animal, declared by The World Conservation Union as "vulnerable and threatened by habitat destruction and hunting," can hardly live in captivity as a pet.
"Tarsiers are often misunderstood animals. The ignorance of man has lead to the significant decrease of the tarsier's population. Without the government's and the people's support, this endangered specie will surely be gone in few years," Pizarras said before we parted ways on my way home.
While trudging the 400-meter road from the sanctuary to the main highway of Corella, images of my encounter with the smallest primate in the world conjured in my mind. Will my future kids ever see this unique creature? Will the government sharpen its claws against those who are endangering the lives of tarsiers and other endangered animals?
Indeed, endangered animals, like tarsiers, are animal species that need our attention. They are having difficulty staying alive in their natural environments because of man's meddling ignorance. Unless we take appropriate action now to help these animals, many of them will become just mere pictures on animal books - extinct, gone forever. #
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