Bush Babies

June 24th, 2004

Motoring around the Chocolate Hills on the Philippine island of Bohol, I searched far and wide for the rumored Bush Babies. Not the whining, alcoholic daughters of the current US President, but rather the animal currently recognized as the world’s smallest monkey. At a height of less than 5 inches (excluding tail), the Tarsier’s most prominent feature is its huge eyes. Each eye is larger than its entire brain, and nearly twice the size of a human’s. The disproportion of its eyes to the rest of its body lends a cartoon-like appearance. As I gently plucked a Tarsier off of a nearby branch, I noticed that its head swiveled around to gaze at me at nearly 180 degrees. The little monkey looked up at me drowsily, being a nocturnal creature, and its eyelids drooped lazily and its pupils shrank nearly to pin-holes in the bright mid-afternoon sunlight.

Tarsiers inhabit several islands in the central Philippines, the Visayas, and have also been discovered in Indonesia. There are 5 distinct sub-types, with the Philippine rendition being the cutest. They live on mostly insects and lizards, leaping up to 3 meters to navigate the forest canopies. At a meager 4 ounces, the tarsier keeps its hide safe from predators such as the owl, by making its home in small burrows in the trunks of trees.

Being cute has probably lead to the Tarsier’s predicament on the endangered species list. They are sold in Manila to tourists, and kept in enclosures on the side of the road on many of the islands where they live naturally. They usually live only 2-5 years in captivity (with a natural lifespan of over 13 years), some committing suicide by smashing their heads against a wall.

A good place to view a Tarsier in its natural environment is in Tangkoko National Park on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Here you can also see Hornbills and Black Macaca Monkeys. Most likely your guide will pluck some unfortunate lizard off of the path and tie it to a branch near the inhabited tree. After a few moments the Tarsier comes out and savagely mutilates the poor lizard, and brings it back to its den for a feast with its comrades. Though this is a bit gruesome (for the lizard), at least you are not contributing to the further capture of wild Tarsiers.

The Tarsier has a sweet bird-like trill, used to communicate and woo its mates. Giving birth to only one offspring per year, the Tarsier’s mating season begins in April or May. In captivity, the female Tarsier has been observed developing a vaginal plug after copulation, as a natural chastity belt. Thank goodness a human equivalent has yet to exist.

In all, viewing the Tarsier monkey is a pleasant experience, though a bit saddening when you see tourists blinding them with flash bulbs as they try in vain to remain asleep during the day. Their cute appearance being more of a liability than an asset these days, the Tarsier remains one of the cutest animals found across Southeast Asia.

Update: In the news, new discovery of Bush Babies in Tanzania.

Entry Filed under: Travel