Tomorrow Today
Animal Protection – Who will save the Tarsiers?
Primatologist Stefan Merker is studying a dwindling species. He is interested in the lifestyle of the tarsiers; small, 30-centimeter-long prosimians that live mainly in Indonesia on the island of Sulawesi. Their population is decreasing gradually as their natural habitat is destroyed.
Estimates put the remaining numbers of tarsiers at around five million. These velvety creatures with the huge eyes and skinny fingers look harmless, but tarsiers are predators that feeds primarily on small prey, typically up to 40 grasshoppers a day. They need that much food to replenish their energy stores, as tarsiers typically move 1.5 kilometers in a single night. Stefan Merker hopes his work will publicize the situation of the tarsiers and help secure a future for this species.
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