The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Region 9 (DENR-9) has released Wednesday a Philippine tarsier (Tarsius Syrichta) into the wild in the province of Zamboanga del Norte.

Rosevirico Tan, DENR-9 information officer, said Thursday that the Philippine tarsier was released at the Jose Rizal Memorial Protected Landscape, in Barangay Talisay, Dapitan City.

Tan said the tarsier was rescued by Cheenee Cagbabanua of Barangay San Pedro, Polanco, Zamboanga del Norte, who saw some children playing with the wildlife.

Known of Zamboanga del Norte folks as “basing”, the female tarsier measures 8.5 centimeters (cm) in length.

Tan said the release of tarsier Wednesday was the second for this year.

He said the first release, a mother-infant Philippine tarsier, was in April by the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in Manukan, Zamboanga del Norte.

In 2008, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List Assessment classified the Philippine tarsier as near threatened species due to the significant decline of its population.

One of the factors to its decline is the loss of its habitat due to deforestation.

Meanwhile, Tan said a rare and endangered Philippine eagle was recently released in the wild in Baliguian, Zamboanga del Norte.

He said the eagle was rescued on April 16 by Nito Bigog and Romeo Dumencil, the barangay chairperson of Bulacan, Siocon, an adjacent town of Baliguian.

The DENR-9 reminded the public that possession of wildlife without a permit is punishable under Republic Act 9147 otherwise known as the “Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.” (PNA)