Mohamed bin Zayed Species project number 242534859

Updating the Conservation status of the Endemic Sangihe Tarsier (Tarsius sangirensis): Mapping, Protecting and Safeguarding their Habitat in Sangihe Islands.

Tarsius sangirensis is an endemic species of the Sangihe Isalnds  Northern Sulawesi, Indonesia. The species is classified as  Endangered (EN) under the IUCN Red List criteria due to its extremely restricted distribution and small population size. It is confined to a single small Islands , with both its extent of occurrence and area of occupancy being less than 736,98km². This Islands is part of a tall primary forest, second forest, and magrove ecosystem. However, surveys conducted shekelle and salim  in 2009 used remote sensing to estimate the total population to between 1,505 and 52,734 recorded only a few individuals within this Islands. This Sangihe Tarsier species faces a significant threat to its habitat, making it all the more important to gather current and reliable data. The threats to the habitat and species are 1. Habitat loss Habitat loss occurs because land clearing is still common on is present on and around mountain Sangihe Islands. Land clearing is carried out for agriculture, housing and other forest product extraction. It causes the species' habitat to be disturbed and decreases the number of populations. 2. Housing and urban area, are related to road construction, expanding and the construction of new settlements for residents. 3. Mining The ongoing threat of habitat loss is present on and around Sangihe Island.

in resolving this threat,  a list of overall objectives of the project are: 1. Population survey aims to estimate the Mapping, Protecting and Safeguarding their Habitat of the species in Sangihe Islands. This will help in understanding the current state of the species and its population dynamics. 2. Habitat monitoring aims to obtain the latest information on habitat condition, forest area, associated species to the habitat and level of threats. This will provide valuable insights into the species habitat requirements and help identify the factors impacting its survival. (3) Educating society about the importance of conservation efforts and preventing species hunting. This will help create awareness about the species and its conservation needs and encourage people to protect it.

Below are the results of the survey we conducted to address the issues and objectives of this project.

The survey conducted on the Sangihe Islands revealed that Tarsius sangirensis was found throughout almost the entire island. This broad distribution across its habitat, which includes primary forests, secondary forests, and mangrove forests, highlights the species' dependence on diverse habitat types for survival. Based on the discovery of 23 individuals. This finding further emphasizes the importance of mapping, protecting, and safeguarding the species' various habitats to ensure its long-term survival. The wide presence of Tarsius sangirensis across different habitats underscores the need to preserve not just specific areas but the entire range of habitats that support this species. By focusing on conservation actions that protect the full spectrum of habitats, we can maintain the ecological balance of the island and help prevent the species from facing the threat of extinction.

  The habitat monitoring we conducted on the Sangihe Islands revealed that this species is found throughout most of the island. However, this species has specific habitat characteristics where it is most commonly encountered, such as primary forests with very high density, shrublands, and mangrove forests. These findings provide important insights into the specific habitat requirements needed by this species for survival. Although it is distributed across the island, the species is primarily found in areas with these specific habitat types, emphasizing the importance of protecting and monitoring these habitats. With this understanding, we can identify the factors affecting the species' survival and design conservation measures that focus on preserving the appropriate habitats for this species.

The goal of this project is to educate the community, particularly school children and local residents around the habitat of Tarsius sangirensis, about the importance of conservation efforts and preventing species hunting. However, this educational activity has not been carried out yet as we are still waiting for official approval from the Department of Education. Additionally, we need to align the schedule with the school curriculum to ensure that the educational activities do not interfere with the students' lessons. Nevertheless, we plan to conduct these activities in the near future once we receive the necessary permits and can coordinate the schedules accordingly. We are confident that this education will play a vital role in raising awareness about the importance of protecting Tarsius sangirensis and encouraging the community to take part in conservation efforts and prevent species hunting.

Project document

• Distribution map of Tarsius sangirensis




Project 242534859 location - Indonesia, Asia