Why You Should Skip the Loboc Tarsier Conservation Area in Bohol

The Loboc Tarsier Conservation Area in Bohol, Philippines, has faced sustained criticism from animal welfare organizations and conservationists for practices that compromise the well-being of the Philippine tarsier (Carlito syrichta), a near-threatened species.

Key Concerns

• Substandard living conditions – Reports describe cramped, unhygienic enclosures lacking adequate vegetation, climbing structures, and hiding spots essential for these nocturnal, arboreal primates.
• Inadequate diet & care – Allegations of insufficient food, water, and veterinary attention.
• Direct visitor contact – Tourists are often allowed to touch, hold, and pose with tarsiers for photos. This causes extreme stress, disrupts sleep cycles, and risks injury (their delicate tails fracture easily).
• Flash photography permitted – Bright flashes disorient tarsiers, whose enormous eyes are adapted for darkness.
• Conservation contradiction – The facility breeds tarsiers in captivity and reportedly supplies them to other venues, fueling the illegal wildlife trade rather than supporting wild populations.

Expert Condemnation

• Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS): States the facility “falls short of minimum standards for tarsier care” and asserts “tarsiers are wild animals and should not be kept in captivity.”
• IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature): Has expressed concern over welfare standards at Loboc.

Ethical Alternatives in Bohol

Visit sanctuaries that prioritize observation without contact, enforce strict no-flash/no-touch rules, and focus on habitat preservation:

• Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary – Corella (managed by the Philippine Tarsier Foundation)
• Tarsier Conservation Area – Tarsier Hills, Corella
• Tarsier Sanctuary – Bilar
• Tarsier Sanctuary – Loboc (different from the criticized facility)

By choosing ethical venues, you help protect this iconic species and support responsible wildlife tourism in the Philippines.