Not a very flattering bit of trivia on the Philippine tarsier. But this is one animal we should take very good care of. Only five species of the tarsier exist: four can be found in Indonesia and one, Tarsius syrichta, lives deep in the woods in the island of Bohol in the Visayas.

And we owe a lot to a group of people who are making sure these furry creatures stay around. The Philippine Tarsier Foundation, whose office is located way out in the woods of Corella, guards the area against poachers and hunters and tries to keep wild cats away from the tarsiers’ home. And with good reason: this shy little animal has been around for 45 million years.

"In the 1960s there were so many tarsiers, you could just look around and spot a handful of them skittering about," says PTF field officer Carlito Pizarras (a.k.a Tarsi Man, see story on Page 9). But in the ‘70s, there came a big demand for the creatures from scientists who wanted to use them in their experiments and collectors who wanted to have live or stuffed tarsiers just to look at.

"Now the estimate is only 1,000," Pizarras says. He adds that the number is already an improvement compared to the ‘80s.

The PTF is doing everything it can to tell people about the tarsier too. Every now and then, bus loads of students from Tagbilaran, the capital city of Bohol, and Cebu visit the Tarsier Sanctuary. Journalists, researchers and teachers from all over the Philippines, as well as from other countries, also come by to see the center and chat with the PTF staff.

But Pizarras says, there’s so much more to do. "We welcome any kind of support so we can continue to maintain the center and keep on with our monitoring," he says. And children are most welcome to visit the center anytime. Because, as Pizarras says, kids will take on the job of protecting the tarsier, as well as all other species, when they grow up and take charge of the country.

JI traveled deep into the woods of Corella town in Bohol to get to know this grey, furry creature with big, mesmerizing eyes. The roads were long and winding and there were very few jeeps. When we got to the Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary, Mr. Pizarras introduced us to one of the resident tarsiers of their preserve: an adult female with very expressive ears.

Mr. Pizarras: "This is my favorite."

Tarsier’s ears: (Fold)

Mr. Pizarras: "I think she has a crush on me. Hee-hee."

Tarsier’s ears: (Crumple)

JI: "Oh wow! See she’s reacting to what you say!"

Tarsier’s ears: (Straighten out, one twitches toward our side.)

Mr. Pizarras: "O, see. I’m her favorite guy."

Tarsier’s ears: (Crumple)

Q: Why is the tarsier named so?

A: Because of their extra-long tarsal bones which form their ankles and enable them to leap 3 meters from tree to tree.

Q: What do tarsiers eat?

A: Iggy Ipis! Plus crickets, reptiles, birds and bats.

Q: Where do they live?

A: They hide in hallows close to the ground.

Q: What do they sound like?