DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 11 April)—The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said it is looking into the improper treatment of two Philippine tarsiers after clips of a vlogger known as “Farm Boy” holding and playing with the primates circulated on social media.
Tarsiers in Malungon, Sarangani province. File photo courtesy of Serafin Ramos Jr., Sarangani PIO
The vlogger’s social media page is no longer available after receiving criticisms from netizens, but other Facebook pages have reuploaded the video clips.
In a statement, the DENR said the viral clips of the incident, which happened in Polomolok, South Cotabato, were reported to the agency’s regional office in Soccsksargen last Monday shortly after the social media influencer uploaded them on his page.
The tarsiers were reportedly released to the wild but the DENR said it “is still looking for further actions to be taken on the wildlife incident.”
According to the Animal Diversity Web, the tarsiers or tarsius syrichta are mostly found in the rainforests of the Philippines, particularly in Samar, Leyte, Bohol, and Mindanao.
“Philippine tarsiers are found in areas of tall grasses, bushes, bamboo shoots, and small trees in tropical rainforests. They enjoy the canopy of the jungle, leaping from limb to limb. Tarsiers usually do not move using four limbs; rather, they have developed excellent leaping skills,” it said.
However, it added that tarsiers are listed as “threatened and endangered” and conservation efforts particularly captive breeding “have been unsuccessful.”
“Tarsiers rarely live long in captivity. It has been reported that they are so traumatized by captivity that they beat their heads against their cages, eventually killing themselves. Philippine tarsiers are also significantly affected by the increased rate of deforestation in their native habitat,” it reads. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
