Valentina: The young tarsier from Zamboanga

They baptized her Valentina, not because they liked Darna’s arch nemesis, but because she happened to be born on Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day.

Yes, Valentina is the new tarsier that has captivated the hearts of Zamboangaeños. Valentina’s entry into this world could not be more dramatic. Her mother was one of the three tarsiers accidentally encountered by forest guards of the Zamboanga City Water District while on routine patrol at the Pasonanca Natural Park in Sitio Baluno, Barangay Salaan, Zamboanga City. The two other tarsiers were males.

All three and Valentina are now back in their natural home – in the forest. Prior to their release, they were placed under special care by the regional office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Zamboanga City after it found out that the female adult was then pregnant. Days after the birth and confident that the transient visitors were in good health, the DENR and local officials decided to release the animals in the very same spot they were found.

"We cannot keep them any longer, otherwise they will die," stressed DENR-Region 9 Technical Director Eduardo Bisquera Jr. "Tarsiers, though they are cute and harmless, are not meant to be pets. In fact, they cannot even be raised in zoos as they rarely live long in captivity."

The release of the tarsiers was also meant to enable the DENR wildlife experts to monitor its population. "This is the first sighting and we want to know if there is a community of tarsier out there. How many are they? Where are they exactly in the park? This way we could come up with a plan on how to protect and manage them."

The accidental discovery of the wandering tarsiers in the Zamboanga peninsula is significant – it provided more proof that it exists not only in Bohol but also in a few other places in a much lesser scale. Most, if not all, of the stories and photos about the tarsier has the Corella sanctuary in Bohol as the setting. The truth is, the tarsier is endemic to the whole country, meaning, it is a native species. Sightings of tarsiers in fact are reported in the provinces of Samar, Leyte and Mindanao, particularly in upland areas where the forest is still thick.

Described as the world’s smallest primate, the Philippine tarsier (Tarsius syrichta carbonarius) is declared an endangered species and listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES).

Biological indicator

The presence of tarsier in the Pasonanca Park is also seen by the DENR as a biological indicator of the environmental integrity of the park. "The fact that there are tarsiers living in the park indicates that the park is indeed rich in biodiversity," RTD Bisquera said. Declared a protected area on July 5, 1999 by virtue of Proclamation No. 132, Pasonanca Park comprises 17,414 hectares, of which 12,107 has constitute the forest area and the remaining 5,307 as buffer zone. It is known as the "Little Baguio in the South" because of its cool climate just like the country’s summer capital.

Located at about 500 meters above sea level, the park is actually a natural water catchment, with more than 20 tributaries draining into a main stream to form the Tumaga river. It is the main source of potable ground water for domestic, irrigation, and industrial use for the whole Zamboanga City.

According to Bisquera, the park’s forest cover is still intact with secondary as well as with old-growth stands of dipterocarp tree species, such as Lauan, Tanguile, Apitong and Malambuaya. Its undergrowth is also thick with moss, ferns, shrubs, vines, rattan, flowering plants and palms species which provide the true landscape of a tropical forest.

Among the wild species found to be thriving in various parts of the park include reptiles like lizards and snakes, wild boars, deer, wild cats and monkeys. There were even reports of sightings of the endangered Philippine eagle.

Two years ago, the Pasonanca park was placed under co-management of three agencies through a memorandum of agreement signed by the DENR, the city government of Zamboanga and the Zamboanga City Water District. The agreement is to ensure not only the park’s protection but also the proper management of its resources, including its wonderful wildlife residents like the tarsier.