A look at smallest primates at Tangkoko<\/p>\n
The following articles on this page were made possible through
\nthe courtesy of the Hotel Santika Manado, Bouraq Airlines and
\nManado-based Maya Express travel agency. The articles were
\nwritten by The Jakarta Post's Harry Bhaskara<\/p>\n
TONGKAINA, Molas, North Sulawesi (JP): Our bus took a left
\nturn just as it approached the magnificent Bitung Port at the tip
\nof Sulawesi island. It headed toward Tangkoko natural reserve,
\nabout one hour away.<\/p>\n
This remaining leg of the day trip could have gone quicker if
\nthe seven kilometers of road ahead -- out of some 20 kilometers
\nremaining -- were in good condition. They were not and the bus
\nhad to skirt its way down the road to avoid the many potholes.<\/p>\n
Close to Tangkoko the twin peaks of the Dua Saudara mountains
\nsoared majestically as if they were right in front of our eyes,
\nshowing off their beautiful greenish blue color.<\/p>\n
The road ahead was full of bends. There were signs of newly
\nfallen trees on a number of slopes along the road. At one point,
\na group of loggers were seen sitting on a side street taking a
\nrest.<\/p>\n
Tangkoko is a small reserve about 9,000 hectares in size at
\nthe northern tip of the 90-square-kilometer Minahasa regency in
\nNorth Sulawesi. It is located about 60 kilometers from the North
\nSulawesi capital of Manado. The reserve encompasses three
\nvolcanoes -- the twin peaks of Dua Saudara, which loom over the
\nbusy port of Bitung, Tangkoko and Batuangus.<\/p>\n
The day was getting late and our group of foreign and local
\ntourists planned to arrive at Tangkoko forest by 6 p.m. We left
\nthe Hotel Santika Manado at close to 2 p.m.<\/p>\n
Six p.m. is when the Sulawesi tarsiers, said to be the
\nsmallest primate in the world, come out of hiding to look for
\nfood.<\/p>\n
Like many other destinations in this province, there were no
\nthrongs of tourists. We arrived at the gate of the Tangkoko
\nreserve all alone, just like the locals coming home from a
\nshopping trip in Manado.<\/p>\n
After our guide made certain we all rubbed our feet and hands
\nwith mosquito-repellent tissues, we headed for the reserve on
\nfoot. Because the forest lies along the coast near Bitung, we
\ncould hear the waves roaring. This explains why we were hot and
\nperspiring despite being surrounded by trees: Tangkoko is a
\ncoastal reserve forest close to the highlands.<\/p>\n
The time was 5 p.m. and one hour later we stopped in front of
\na huge tree in the dense forest. The ranger who accompanied us
\npointed his finger at the tree, and as we all strained our eyes
\nin the rapidly falling darkness we were able to see two tarsiers
\nsitting in the branches.<\/p>\n
Their bodies measured about 15 centimeters in length and they
\nhad long tails. They did not look that impressive with their
\nlight brown skin, but it was unique to see a primate of this
\nsize.<\/p>\n
As we made noise the tarsiers took refuge in the tree trunk,
\nwhere they normally sleep during the day. The distinct alarm-like
\nsound of forest insects at sunset is said to be their wake-up
\ncall to look for food. And they eat the very insects that awake
\nthem.<\/p>\n
A few minutes later the tarsiers reappeared. This time we were
\nmore prepared and let them jump into the nearby tree branches.
\nWorld-class athletes would have been envious of such leaps, so
\nfast it appeared they were flying rather than jumping. We were
\nbarely able to follow them.<\/p>\n
As soon as we spotted one of them in the dark we turned our
\nflashlights on it and it sat where it was, unmoving. We quietly
\nstepped in to get a closer view and there it was in all its
\nglory. It stared blankly at us, hypnotized by the flashlights.<\/p>\n
We went further into the forest to look for a giant spider
\nthat lives in the split of a massive tree trunk. The spider,
\nnamed Tarantula by locals, measures about 30 centimeters in
\ndiameter and is said to be very poisonous.<\/p>\n
If we had arrived at the forest earlier, we could have seen
\nthe big and colorful Sulawesi hornbill, tailless black monkeys,
\nwhite-necked mynas and other spectacular birds.<\/p>\n
The trip to the forest ended and we took another one-hour walk
\nback to the bus before heading back to the Hotel Santika, which
\ntook us another two and a half hours.<\/p>\n
It is possible to spend the night in Tangkoko and go trekking
\nin the mountains in the morning. A very basic but clean cottage
\nand good food is available for those who wish to pursue this
\noption.<\/p>",
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