Tarsiers are absolutely unsuitable as pets. They will die within weeks without the proper treatment and food. If you like them, you will let them live free. Furthermore, this is a protected species, so trade in those creatures is highly regulated, and you won't be able to buy a tarsier legally. If you find anyone offering them for sale, that person is better reported to the police and the DENR.--Jeroen

P.S. It is great, the tarsier is on the new 200 peso bill--that way you can still admire it without doing harm.

I normally avoid the discussion about evolution. I need not bother with those who choose to ignore the mountains of evidence for evolution that exist in plain sight; they are free to indulge and cultivate their self-chosen ignorance. Note how in the nineteenth century some 'scientist' claimed that 'heavier than air' transport was physically impossible, ignoring the very fact that heavier than air birds where flying over their heads every day. They would be laughing-stock today. Similarly, no biologist right in his mind will deny evolution, but then those who deny that are not biologists, but religious zealots with a completely different agenda.

Unfortunately, not having some appreciation of what biological evolution is, makes it very difficult to have a meaningful discussion about subjects such as the way animals are related, and what a proper classification is. Traditionally, taxonomies (relationship trees) where based on physical appearances and features of creatures. More recently, biologists have been looking at DNA information itself. Using this, they can determine far more precisely the relationship between species and thus determine their classification. -- I am not aware whether such studies have been performed yet for tarsiers, but I am certainly curious to know the results.--Jeroen.

And of course He created Heaven and Earth on the 23rd of October 4004 BCE with all the geological record prepared in the earth's crust to make a fool out of all rational thinking scientists.--Jeroen.

There is even no one to guide the tourists and/or inspect the cameras of tourists and at the least require them to remove flash from their camera and of course to observe silence or shut up..

Why don't you follow the viewing method adopted by Singapore Zoo, the animals are kept in their natural habitat, sort of, but interaction, i.e. touching animals is not allowed, unless certain time schedules are followed. The Tarsier is an endangered species, 1 or 2 or 3 tarsiers put on display is already giving these tarsiers a reduction of the timetable of their lifespan and reducing the tarsier population. Just think about that.....

I fully agree with you, and always point people at the Tarsier Reservation in Corella, which treats them considerably better than in that cage near Loboc river (which should be closed). Unfortunately, the opening hours of the Corella Reservation are somewhat haphazard.--Jeroen.

What to say? All living beings known to man are related in some sense, and it is often difficult to establish where one species of family of living beings ends and the other starts. The question is a matter of biological classification, in which case you would have to study some taxonomy, for example using Wikispecies. Just looking at the name may be misleading.--Jeroen.

No, you cannot buy a tarsier, as it is a protected species, and a wild animal, that will die quickly if kept in captivity.--Jeroen.

--Jessica Anderson 7th grade.

Re-reading this article after three years, I agree with you, and will try to make the text easier. There are a lot of difficult words. You can try and look them up with Google, for example, if you type define: taxonomy in the search box, you get a list of meanings. This way, you can learn some words, and better understand the article.--Jeroen.

Since when is the British spelling wrong? I am closer to England than to the US, so sometimes a British spelling will slip through--Jeroen

Its one of the most disgusting act a human can do to these creatures. You stress them out in doing so and alter their behavior from their natural environment. View them from afar otherwise leave them alone.

I'll be visiting Panglao Island and maybe go around Bohol but i dont think I can support the people who prostitute these creatures for profit.

It is for this very reason that this website supports visits to the Corella Tarsier Sanctuary, and discourages visits to the (now enlarged) cages at Loboc River. Unfortunately, the DENR appearantly changed its stance on this ruthless exploitation of this sensitive animal and trademark of Bohol two years ago, when it allowed this operation to continue. By the way, the DENR permit of this outlet does not allow people to touch or cuddle the animals, so if you have seen this on inq7, it may help to also bring this to the awareness of the DENR.--Jeroen.

Although I agree with you, and try what I can to promote the Tarsier visitor center in Corella (And stop the abuse in Loboc), the only way I currently know to donate, it to go there and deposit it in their box. The Foundation could do more to promote itself. It used to have a very nice website, but the domain was not expanded. I made a repeated offer to host that website for them (for free) on my server, but probably to the wrong person, so it never came through.

I oppose increasing the entrance price, as the center should be accessible for locals as well-in fact, I want to encourage them to allow pre-arranged school trips in for a nominal 1 peso per head fee, or even less, as it is very important school children in Bohol learn about this wonderful creature.--Jeroen.

I can't agree more with you, please avoid the exploitation in Loboc and go to Corella instead, even though they now have a DENR approved sign, that doesn't make it good. In fact, it is a shame the DENR allows this.--Jeroen.

Hi Ares, I read your comment as if you wanted to compel people selling images of tarsiers to pay for the center. I consider that a tax. However, if they raise the impression that they also support the conservation in some way, and don't actually do that, that is misleading the public, and thus fraud, and need to be investigated.

Politicians in high places have given the owners of the Loboc cage a permit to continue their exploitation of the tarsier, against advise of everybody who truly cares for the animal and its protection. The money involved may be just too big... It is true the cage is now somewhat bigger, but still the situation is extremely stressful for these shy animals, with hundreds of people touching them every day.--Jeroen

Although I can understand your feeling about this, I have to disagree here. In practice, this would amount to a special purpose tax, and although for a worthy cause, would place an undue burden on business and the public. I can think about a thousand good causes, such as protection of dolphins, reefs, forests, basic education, healthcare, and so on, so similar arguments can be made to also tax items with pictures related to these things... but in the end chaos would reign. This doesn't mean I would like to encourage people selling those souvenirs to support the center in some way. It would be a different story if shops where misleading people about this, but I never noticed that.--Jeroen.

Although somewhat improved, we still don't like the cage in which the tarsiers are kept along Loboc river, and thus ask everybody, especially tour operators, to avoid those shops, and go to the Tarsier Visitors Center in Corella instead.--Jeroen.

Thanks Gregory for you comment; I agree the article is somewhat incoherent, and needs a clean-up. Since you appear to have an outspoken opinion on this, I invite you to write a clear and interesting report on the tarsier for this website, or kindly explain me how you would like the information presented.--Jeroen.

Not, as far as I know. They eat insects.--Jeroen

The Philippines was not affected by the tsunami, and I have no idea about the situation in Sumatra (where another type of tarsier lives), but believe, since the tsunami only devastated the coastline, and tarsiers live further away from the shore, they have not been badly affected--Jeroen.

This fact has been fairly clearly mentioned in this article from the moment it went first on-line, as it is a common misconception, but maybe I was not clear enough?--Jeroen.

I too would love to have translations of some articles in Tagalog and Cebuano. I can do them myself in Dutch. Any volunteers?--Jeroen.

Added the information.--Jeroen

I think you mean to say: "It is not right to kill tarsiers." and then I heartily agree!--Jeroen.

Only sad that you appearently didn't go to Corella. They don't allow you to touch the tarsiers there, but they are kept in a much more natural environment than in those cages near Loboc river, where the sensitive and naturally shy tarsiers often die after a few months, from the sheer stress and lack of proper food.--Jeroen.

We are glad the tarsier sanctuary doesn't let everybody handle the animals, as they are quite sensitive and shy. It is one reason we recommend the place--Jeroen.

Hi Jojo, we also believe that the tarsier should be protected, and believe that to do this, it is best to leave them in their natural environment, and then protect that natural environment. This is exactly what the Tarsier Sanctuary in Corella is trying to do.

However, even though we believe that some of the people holding the tarsiers on Loboc river in cages may be well-intending, we have doubts about the survival rate of these tarsiers. The tarsier in its natural condition is a shy, nocturnal animal with a specific diet (mostly insects), which makes it difficult to keep it in captivity, especially in conditions as shown in this picture. Here you can see two tarsiers shying away at the back side of a cage. How different is this from its natural habitat, as shown in pictures from the sanctuary. Since it is so difficult to keep tarsiers, only a single zoo in the U.S. keeps them.

We therefore want to urge you to bring the tarsiers you keep captive to the tarsier sanctuary, and stop displaying them in this way. The Loboc River tour is very nice already without the tarsiers; and you may also direct your guests to the tarsier sanctuary for another trip.--Jeroen.

Next week my new tarsier article will be ready. It is better you go to Corella, and visit them at the Tarsier Sanctuary. You can't touch them over there, but see them in their natural environment. -- Jeroen.

We'll be off to Bohol in a few weeks, and certainly will be writing on this site about all things we can collect information on. -- Jeroen.