The
plight of endangered Philippine Tarsiers held captive in cages continue to offend
tourists and locales alike as television crews show the grim state of the species
in the province.
Local
and international television including newspapers and online publications showed
deplorable video footages and photographs of the tarsiers. Some of it revealed
how tarsiers commit suicide due to stress caused by human presence and some depicting
the primate dying at an early age.
Recently,
travel blogger and photographer Enrico Dee said in his online blog that his visit
to Bohol lately became an eye-opener even after he saw a TV show featuring the
tarsier.
According
to Dee, when he arrived in Bohol, he was brought to the tarsier sanctuary in Corella.
"True
enough, the tarsiers looked stressed. While they all look cute, being small and
cuddly, it was also a pity seeing them in this sorry state," he said.
| | | Dee
said that even in the sanctuary, rules that prohibit touching the tarsiers or
taking photos with flash are being violated.
"I
was so surprised how supposedly guardians of tarsiers pulled one of the tiny primate's
tail and transferred it to another tree," he added.
Being
nocturnal animals, tarsiers are supposed to rest during daytime and hunt for food
at night.
Various
groups support the complete ban on the commercialization of the tarsiers. |
REVIEW
ORDINANCE
During
his weekly "The Governor Reports", Gov. Erico Aumentado bared that until
now he has not received a copy of the recently approved ordinance prohibiting
the display of tarsiers for commercial use.
The
governor however said he is open for the review of the ordinance as business owners
engaged in the display of the tarsiers in Loboc got the support of the town's
officials asking the governor to defer the implementation of the legislative measure.
The
ordinance penalizes the commercialization of the endangered specie.
According
to Aumentado, a national law is already in existence which may render some provisions
of the provincial ordinance ultra vires.
Tarsier
caretakers and tamers in Loboc are opposing the new regulation that requires all
tarsiers on cages to be brought to the sanctuary in Corella as this would displace
workers including manufacturers, distributors and sellers of tarsier souvenir
items.
Earlier,
reports revealed that if the tarsiers will remain in its commercialized display
in Loboc, the management of the Tarsier foundation based in Corella town will
close since it will defeat its purpose of protecting the lives of tarsiers at
their natural habitat in the forested area in Corella.
Environmentalists
from all over the globe strongly criticize how these tarsiers are being "abused"
at the display centers in Loboc town.
Sooner
or later these tarsiers can no longer be found in the province due to the Boholanos'
failure to preserve their existence, according to a top hotelier whose advocacy
is for the preservation of tarsiers.
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