Melo Villareal
Philippine Tarsier and Wildlife Sanctuary
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You Bohol Trip will not be complete without seeing and taking photos with tarsiers in Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary in Corella Bohol. That’s why on our second day, we visited the sanctuary as part of our Central Visayas Familiarization Tour – a project of PHILTOA. Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA) is the team behind the Philippines most successful yearly trade show – The Philippine Travel Mart 2012.
Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary was built to protect the endangered tarsier, the world’s smallest primates. The tarsier sanctuary is located exactly 4 kilometers from the town center of Corella and a mere 20 minutes drive from Tagbilaran City. The Corella Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary is maintained by a non-profit organization called Philippine Tarsier Foundation.
Visitors, as well as researchers, can learn about this 45 million-year-old species of small primates that can amazingly turn their heads to 180 degrees. It provides immense knowledge about this endangered species and also a great opportunity to see one of the rare species in the world.
A visit to the sanctuary is just like a trip inside the deep forest having thick vegetation with different flora and fauna. Inside the sanctuary, travelers can see tarsiers that can freely live on its natural habitat. The tarsiers are kept in such manner so that they are free to travel inside the mini protected forest and roam inside the larger area of the sanctuary. Visitors have to enter the semi-enclosed area composed of shrubs and mini-forest where they can spot and take photos of the tiny tarsiers. Inside this sanctuary, tarsiers are found resting up in trees, behind leaves or in branches, jumping from one tree to another when disturbed.
The Philippine Tarsiers have bigger eyes than brains and are nocturnal critters that literally will melt your heart. At just about 8-16 centimeters long, they are truly tiny and lovable. Even though they are that small they have been known to jump up to 16 feet! Good thing there’s a sanctuary that keeps them safe from wild and endangered species collector. The Corella Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary is an ideal place for the tarsiers as there is no population stress or any form of pollution. The sanctuary is a one of kind tourist attraction that is best for group tours, a company summer outing and Family trips.
The Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary has established a visitor’s complex to attract more guests. The visitor’s complex comprises of reception, exhibition area, audiovisual room, mini cafeteria, and toilet facilities. In addition to this, the sanctuary includes a library, research center related to tarsiers, conference rooms, and storage rooms. The Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary in Corella is a hotspot for scientist, technicians, and research analysts related to tarsiers. A research center is constructed within the sanctuary equipped with laboratory and veterinary clinic for the betterment of the tarsiers.
Separate pathways are provided from the visitor’s complex to various parts of the sanctuary. Tourists are not allowed to touch the tarsier and flash photography is also prohibited to protect the small primates.
They charge 50 Pesos entrance fee before you can enter the sanctuary. Guides are available in the sanctuary to provide details about the endangered species. In house tour guides normally go the sanctuary early to spot the location of the tarsiers so they would know where to find them when the tourist starts to arrive at the tarsier sanctuary.
How to Get There
Corella Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary is hardly 14 kilometers from the provincial capital Tagbilaran City. Buses and jeeps are available from the capital city on a regular basis to reach this place. Moreover, resorts in Bohol Island provide transportation facility to Corella. The sanctuary is located in a wide area of 134 hectares of forest area in Corella. Anyone can visit the sanctuary every day from 9 am to 4 pm except for Holidays. The best season to visit the Corella tarsier Sanctuary is from December to May.
Up Next: Bohol Countryside Tour with PHILTOA
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