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Locals release mother-infant tarsiers back into wild

By Edwin Fernandez

May 6, 2020, 1:14 pm

<p><strong>RESCUED.</strong> A mother (left) and infant tandem of tarsiers, one of the world's smallest primates, are rescued and later released back into the wild by residents of Aleosan, North Cotabato on Tuesday (May 5, 2020). Residents and village officials, in coordination with the provincial environment office, are pushing for Aleosan to be declared a protected habitat for tarsiers. <em>(Photos courtesy of DENR-12)</em></p>

RESCUED. A mother (left) and infant tandem of tarsiers, one of the world's smallest primates, are rescued and later released back into the wild by residents of Aleosan, North Cotabato on Tuesday (May 5, 2020). Residents and village officials, in coordination with the provincial environment office, are pushing for Aleosan to be declared a protected habitat for tarsiers. (Photos courtesy of DENR-12)

COTABATO CITY – Villagers in the North Cotabato town of Aleosan on Tuesday released back into the wild two tarsiers (Tarsius Syrictha), one of the world’s smallest primates.

Local environment officials said the latest example of a citizen-led rescue of wildlife animals, which took place in Sitio Simsiman of Barangay Tomado in Aleosan, showed that communities are becoming aware of the importance of biodiversity.

“Two tarsiers, a mother, and an infant were rescued Sunday and released on Tuesday,” Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer Badjury Mustapha said in an interview on Wednesday.

Mustapha said forester Nor Hassan Batugan was immediately sent to the village to check and verify the tarsiers found by Reynaldo Puerto who posted the endangered species on social media.

In his report, Batugan said the tarsiers were released back into the wild by the residents and local officials of Aleosan after they were found to be in good health.

He described the mother tarsier as 10-cm. long and has a 22-cm. tail, while the infant was 8-cm. tall and had a 12-cm. tail.

Mustapha said Aleosan officials told him that the local government was planning to declare the town as a wildlife sanctuary through a resolution to be passed once the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic is over.

Since January, five tarsiers have been found, rescued, and later released back into their natural habitat in North Cotabato. (PNA)

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