Philippine Tarsier First Sighting in Tacloban
Philippine Tarsier – Researchers from the University of the Philippines Visayas Tacloban College (UPVTC) announce to public the first sighting of Philippine Tarsier (Tarsius [Carlito] syrichta) in Tacloban City, Wednesday August 10.
In a Facebook post of the UPVTC, researchers from the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, validated and documented for the first time the existence of the Philippine tarsier in Tacloban City.
According to Manila Bulletin the Philippine Tarsier locally known as “MAGO” was inhabited in a secondary forest area situated in Barangay Santa Elena, Tacloban City during the night surveys conducted by the researcher from July 29-31.
The night surveys conducted by the researchers of the UPVCT is part of their ongoing population study on one of the smallest primates in the world.
In a report, there are also sightings of Philippine Tarsier in the neighboring municipalities in Tacloban despite the fact that it is endemic in Mindanao, Bohol, Samar, and Leyte.
This discovery motivates the researchers to conduct further population studies in the forest of Tacloban, to explore more and discover other species living in the forest.
“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,” In a statement made by the UPTVC.
The UPVTC also said that the validated inhabitant of the Tarsier in the City of Tacloban forest have pointed out the vital role of the city as a key biodiversity area.
Based on a report, the discovery of the Philippine Tarsier and other endemic creatures must be taken into consideration in the City of Tacloban land-use-planning to offer protection and conservation to the animals’ inhabited in the area, according to the UPVTC.
Before the researchers conducted their night surveys in the forest of Tacloban City they secured consent from the Tacloban City Environment and Natural Resources Region 8 prior to their research conducted at the said forest.
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