IPB University Expert: Of the 15 Tarsier Species in the World, 14 are Found in Indonesia
Indonesia has extraordinary biological wealth, including in terms of primates. One of these riches is the tarsier, the smallest primate in the world that is mostly only found in Indonesia.
IPB University Wildlife Ecology Expert, Dr Abdul Haris Mustari, said that Indonesia is the center of tarsier biodiversity in the world. According to him, conservation of the tarsier’s natural habitat is the main key to preserving this rare species.
“Of the fifteen tarsier species in the world, fourteen are in Indonesia, and thirteen of them are found in Sulawesi. This means that Sulawesi is the center of global tarsier biodiversity,” said the lecturer of Forest Resource Conservation and Ecotourism.
Tarsiers are known as nocturnal primates with a body weight of only 50-100 grams, large eyes disproportionate to their body size, and the ability to rotate their head up to 180 degrees.
Biologically and behaviorally, tarsiers live monogamously in small groups, usually consisting only of a male and female mother and their young. Its natural habitat includes secondary forests, bamboo groves, and gardens around houses adjacent to forests.
Today, threats to tarsier populations are increasingly evident. Deforestation due to mining, forest fires and land conversion are the main causes of the decline in the species’ natural habitat. “Deforestation means turning forests into non-forests. Plus, forest fragmentation due to human activities has made tarsier habitat fragmented and not intact,” he explained.
According to Dr Haris, the current conservation approach has not focused enough on species such as tarsiers. Government policies are more directed towards ecosystem management in general, rather than key species-based approaches. This has made tarsier conservation efforts less than optimal.
Regarding captive breeding, he believes that this method has not proven effective for tarsiers. Some captive breeding efforts, such as in South Sulawesi, have not shown the expected results.
“Tarsiers find it difficult to live in cages. They are more suitable to live in nature because their food is very varied and their survival behavior is taught by their mothers naturally,” he said.
Dr Haris believes that in-situ conservation, which means preserving the original habitat, is the most effective and efficient way to protect tarsiers and other animals. “If the habitat is protected, not only tarsiers will be protected, but also anoa, deer pigs, Sulawesi black monkeys, and even the diversity of plants, water and air,” he said.
However, advances in taxonomy have shown that the number of tarsier species can continue to grow. This is not because of new speciation in a short period of time, but because of advances in molecular DNA analysis that can differentiate populations based on geography.
“Previously, Sulawesi was thought to have only one species, but now it is proven to be different between North, Central, South, Southeast Sulawesi, and Buton Island,” Dr Haris explained.
In his view, the most urgent thing now is to strengthen the protection of conservation areas that have been established by the government and prepare species-based policies for endemic animals such as Tarsius.
“It is better to secure its home first before increasing its population. If the habitat is damaged, where will the captive-bred animals be released?” he said.
Dr Haris also said that natural predators such as eagles or pythons are not the main threat to tarsier survival. “The most dangerous are humans, through mining, fires, and oil palm plantations. Oil palm monoculture has replaced forests in Sulawesi, causing the loss of tarsier habitat,” he said. (dr) (IAAS/NRA)
