To See

If you mean hornbill, in Batuputih Village, North Sulawesi, the most iconic one is the Knobbed Hornbill or Julang Sulawesi (Rhyticeros cassidix), a large endemic bird often associated with the nearby Tangkoko forest area, where Batuputih is a common base village for wildlife visitors. It has black feathers, a white tail, a big yellow-orange bill, and a striking casque on top of its beak, especially bright in males. Around Batuputih, this hornbill is important for nature tourism and forest ecology because it feeds mainly on fruit and helps spread seeds through the rainforest. The species is listed as Vulnerable, mainly because of habitat loss and hunting pressure.

In Batuputih Village, North Sulawesi, the cuscus—especially the Sulawesi bear cuscus (Ailurops ursinus)—is one of the unique animals found in the nearby Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve, whose entrance area is closely linked with Batuputih Village. This animal is not a bear, but an arboreal marsupial with thick dark-gray or brownish fur, strong claws, and a long prehensile tail that helps it move slowly through the forest canopy. Around Batuputih and Tangkoko, the cuscus adds to the village’s importance as a wildlife tourism and conservation area, alongside tarsiers, hornbills, maleo birds, and Macaca nigra. The species is listed as Vulnerable, mainly because of deforestation and hunting pressure in Sulawesi.

In Batuputih Village, North Sulawesi, the cuscus—especially the Sulawesi bear cuscus (Ailurops ursinus)—is one of the unique animals found in the nearby Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve, whose entrance area is closely linked with Batuputih Village. This animal is not a bear, but an arboreal marsupial with thick dark-gray or brownish fur, strong claws, and a long prehensile tail that helps it move slowly through the forest canopy. Around Batuputih and Tangkoko, the cuscus adds to the village’s importance as a wildlife tourism and conservation area, alongside tarsiers, hornbills, maleo birds, and Macaca nigra. The species is listed as Vulnerable, mainly because of deforestation and hunting pressure in Sulawesi.

In Batu Putih Village, North Sulawesi, the Maleo bird is one of the special wildlife treasures of the nearby Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve, which is known as a sanctuary for endemic animals including maleo birds, tarsiers, hornbills, cuscus, and Sulawesi black macaques. The Maleo is a unique Sulawesi bird with black feathers, a pale pink belly, yellow skin around the face, and a small helmet-like crest on its head. It is famous for laying large eggs in warm sand or volcanic soil, where natural heat helps hatch the chicks. In Batu Putih, the Maleo adds to the village’s identity as a gateway to rare Sulawesi wildlife and nature tourism.(Photo: Putri Pinontoan)

On the island of Sulawesi, there is a mini-sized endemic animal known as the tarsier (Tarsius). It is the smallest primate in the world, no larger than the span of an adult hand. Despite its tiny size, a male tarsier has a head circumference of about 85 mm, a body length of no more than 160 mm, and uniquely, its tail length ranges between 135-275 mm, which is nearly twice its body length. Sulawesi is a haven for tarsiers, with 11 known species including T. tarsier, T. fuscus, T. sangirensis, T. pumilus, T. dentatus, T. pelengensis, T. lariang, T. tumpara, and T. wallacei. Additionally, two more tarsier species were discovered in May 2017: Tarsius spectrumgurskyae and Tarsius supriatnai.

(Photo: Saroyo Sumarno)
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