Budi Setiawan
DISCOVERS TARSIUS IN BELITUNG
IN THE REMOTE JUNGLE OF THE ISLAND OF BELITUNG IN INDONESIA WE CAME ACROSS THIS GROUP OF SCIENTISTS WHO WERE MANAGING A SMALL WILDLIFE SANCTUARY. WHAT WE THOUGHT TO BE A SIMPLE PLACE FOR TOURISTS TO LOOK AT ANIMALS ACTUALLY TURNED OUT TO BE A VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE RESEARCH STATION.
THE STATION WAS STARTED BY A GUY NAMED BUDI WHO WAS TRYING TO SAVE THE FOREST WHICH WAS BEING CLEARED FOR INDUSTRIAL PURPOSES. BUDI GREETED US WITH AN EXTREMELY WELCOMING SMILE. HE THEN LED US TO A SHACK THAT WAS FULL OF POSTERS TELLING HIS STORY. WHAT WE FOUND REALLY INTERESTING ABOUT BUDI WAS THAT HE IS VERY SMART BUT HAD NO COLLEGE EDUCATION. HE WAS JUST A MINDFUL PERSON WHO CARED ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT AND FOUND A WAY OF MAKING CHAGES THROUGH POSITIVE ENERGY. ONE OF HIS PROJECTS INCLUDED STUDYING THE TARSIUS MONKEY.
THE MOST SURPRISING THING TO US WAS SEEING BUDI ON THESE POSTERS BEING RECOGNIZED BY WORLD LEADERS FOR HIS CONTRIBUTION TO SCIENCE. SEE PHOTO STRIP BELOW.
The Tarsius
THE TARSIUS MONKEY IS ONE OF THE WORLDS SMALLEST MONKEYS. YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF GOLLUM IN 'THE LORD OF THE RINGS' WELL, HE WAS BASED ON THE TARSIUS. ONE OF THE COOLEST THING'S THAT BUDI TAUGHT US ABOUT THE TARSIUS IS THAT IT USES EXTREMELY HIGH PITCHED SOUNDS (THAT HUMANS CANNOT HEAR BECAUSE IT RADIATES AT A SUCH A HIGH FREQUENCY) TO COMMUNICATE. WHEN A TARSIUS IS INVADING ANOTHER TARSIUS'S TERRITORY, IT USES THAT SONIC COMMUNICATION BUT HIGHER PITCHED TO BREAK THE INVADERS EARDRUMS AND THEN KILLS IT. BUDI ALSO TAUGHT US THAT THEY HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THE TARSIUS LIVES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE WALLACE LINE.
THIS HAS MADE SCIENTISTS WONDER IF THE WALLACE LINE IS ACCURATE OR NOT.
BUDI EXPLAINS HOW HE USED POSITIVE ENERGY TO CONNECT WITH THESE ANIMALS IN THE VIDEO BELOW.
The Wallace Line
an early study in biodiversity
WE LIVED IN THE REGION OF THIS LINE FOR MONTHS...BELOW ARE A COUPLE OF VIDEOS THAT EXPLAIN THE LINE IN DETAIL
