Philippine tarsier spotted in Tacloban City for the first time

Researchers from the University of the Philippines Visayas Tacloban College (UPVTC) have validated and documented for the first time the presence of a Philippine tarsier in the city.

According to UPTVC researchers, the Philippine tarsier was spotted in a secondary forest area in Sta. Elena, Tacloban City during their night surveys from July 29 to July 31.

The night surveys, the research team added, are part of their ongoing population study on the primates which stemmed from the reports of its sightings in the neighboring municipalities in Tacloban despite being endemic in Mindanao, Bohol, Samar, and Leyte.

“The presence of the Philippine tarsier in Tacloban City’s forests highlights the role of the city as a key biodiversity area. The presence of tarsiers and other endemic species should be taken into account in the city’s land use plans, particularly in terms of protecting the areas where the tarsiers live,” the UPTVC said in a statement.

The UPTVC said it secured prior informed consent from the Tacloban City Environment Office and concerned local barangays and a Gratuitous Permit from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region 8 before conducting the field survey.—LDF, GMA News