THE rescued tarsier in Lanao del Sur. (Photo via Bonita Ermac)
ILIGAN CITY – A rare juvenile Mindanao tarsier was recently rescued in the Piyapayungan mountain range in Marogong, Lanao del Sur.
Residents of Barangay Diragun discovered the creature near a National Greening Program rehabilitation site and a partially disturbed forest area increasingly threatened by agricultural expansion and human activity.
They immediately turned over the endangered species to Barangay Chairman Imran Benito, who coordinated with the Provincial Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy Office (PENREO) for proper rescue and assessment.
Environmental workers and wildlife specialists said it was a rare and hopeful sign that despite habitat degradation and environmental pressures, fragments of healthy biodiversity still survive within the forests of Lanao del Sur.
A joint assessment conducted by Ecosystems Specialists Chief Forester Ameer Hussein Abbas Jr. and Chief Hindawi Abdulwahab showed that the tarsier was alert and responsive.
The small primate, brown and measuring approximately four inches long with an eight-inch tail, exhibited normal climbing and jumping behavior during evaluation.
The male animal is one of the Philippines’ most elusive and delicate nocturnal primates.
To ensure its survival in the wild, Community Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy Officer Ashawie Pangandaman recommended the tarsier’s immediate release back into its natural habitat.
The rescue team returned the animal to the forested area on May 18 in the Piyapayungan mountain range.
Provincial Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy Officer Asmarie Labao said the rescue symbolizes hope and responsibility.
“The appearance of the tarsier reminds us that our forests remain ecologically significant and must continue to be protected,” Labao said, emphasizing the urgent need to strengthen biodiversity conservation efforts throughout the Bangsamoro region.
Conservation workers said the tarsier could eventually become recognized as the Ranaw tarsier of the Bangsamoro region, a symbol of the province’s hidden biodiversity and enduring natural heritage.
The rescue team named him “Datu a Mangoda sa Kalasan” or “The Charming Prince of the Forest,” a symbolic name representing peace, hope, unity, and the continuing call to safeguard the biodiversity corridors of Lanao del Sur.