Olinguito Bassaricyon neblina

Olinguito Bassaricyon neblina

IUCN Red List: Near Threatened

Location: Colombia, Ecuador

Found in the Andean cloud forests of western Colombia and Ecuador, at elevations between 1,500 and 2,800 metres.

One of the cutest #mammals recently discovered is already at risk. With their bear-like faces, cat-like bodies, and lush tawny fur, the olinguito Bassaricyon neblina is an adorable button-nosed mammal of #Ecuador and #Colombia. They first made themselves known to the western world in 2006 in Ecuador and were officially described in 2013 and are considered ‘Near Threatened’ mainly from deforestation and forest clearing for #palmoil agriculture along with road building, infrastructure and gold mining throughout their range. Native to the misty cloud forests of the northern Andes, they are increasingly threatened by industrial agribusiness, palm oil plantations, and agriculture. Over 40% of their habitat has already been destroyed. Use your wallet as a weapon: always choose #palmoilfree products and be #vegan to help protect olinguitos and other species of the Andean Cloud Forest#BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

https://youtu.be/6_ir48JWkRI

#Olinguitos are button-nosed #mammals 😻🦦 of the Cloud Forests in #Ecuador 🇪🇨 and #Colombia 🇨🇴 Their lives are threatened by #goldmining 🥇 #meat 🥩and #palmoil 🌴 #deforestation. Help them! Be #vegan #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-bBX

Discovered not long ago, #Olinguitos are #bear-like tenacious survivors. Despite hiding well, their forests are rapidly disappearing for #palmoil and #meat agriculture. Help them survive! Be #vegan #Boycottpalmoil 🌴⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-bBX

Appearance & Behaviour

The olinguito is reminiscent of teddy bear and a domestic cat, with thick, soft, russet and tawny coloured fur, a short snout with a button-like nose, small ears, and a long fluffy tail used for balance in the treetops. Typically weighing under one kilogram, they are the smallest member of the raccoon family (Procyonidae). Nocturnal and arboreal, they live high in the forest canopy and are rarely seen. Solitary by nature, they are also reclusive and actively avoid human interaction.

Threats

Despite being classified as Near Threatened, there are no known large-scale conservation programmes or protected areas specifically designed to safeguard the olinguito or their habitat. Many of the forests where they live are under private ownership or are unprotected, leaving them at the mercy of logging companies, agribusiness, and illegal land grabs. Without legal safeguards and ecological corridors between forest remnants, olinguito populations will continue to decline unnoticed. Over 42% of their potential range has already been cleared or degraded for mining and agriculture.

Widespread deforestation of Andean cloud forests for agriculture, livestock, and infrastructure

Much of the olinguito’s Andean cloud forest habitat has already been cleared for cattle pasture, coffee plantations, and crop fields. This is especially concerning given the species’ limited elevational range and dependence on specific microclimates. Habitat loss fragments populations and prevents them from moving between forest patches, leading to genetic isolation and increased vulnerability. According to Helgen et al. (2013), 42% of the olinguito’s historical range has already been lost to agriculture and urban development.

Palm oil and timber plantations rapidly consuming native forest habitat.

Large swathes of cloud forest are being destroyed to establish oil palm and timber plantations. These monocultures are ecological deserts that offer no food or shelter for frugivorous mammals like the olinguito. Although oil palm expansion is often focused in lowland regions, it is encroaching into higher elevations in parts of Colombia and Ecuador due to market demand and land speculation. This spells danger for highland endemics like the olinguito, whose misty habitat is already shrinking.

Urbanisation and road development, fragmenting their canopy habitat

As human populations expand into previously remote areas, forest is cleared for roads, settlements, and industrial development. Even if some patches of cloud forest remain, roads cut through ecosystems, isolating wildlife and increasing mortality from vehicle collisions. Urban sprawl also brings dogs and other invasive species that can harass, predate, or outcompete native animals. The olinguito’s canopy-dependent, arboreal lifestyle makes it especially susceptible to the effects of fragmentation and edge habitat.

Climate change, which threatens the stability of montane ecosystems.

Cloud forests are highly sensitive to temperature and moisture changes. As global temperatures rise, the delicate balance of mist, rainfall, and cool air that defines this biome is shifting. Suitable habitat may move upslope, but mountaintops provide a limited refuge. Once a species is pushed beyond its climatic limit, local extinction becomes inevitable. The olinguito already lives at the uppermost altitudes suitable for its survival, making it dangerously vulnerable to climate-induced habitat contraction.

Geographic Range

Olinguitos live in humid montane forests between 1,500 and 2,800 metres in elevation in western Colombia and Ecuador, including forests near Medellín in Colombia and the Otonga Forest Reserve in Cotopaxi, Ecuador. This species occupies the highest known range of any member of the genus Bassaricyon. Though only officially recognised in 2013, museum specimens had been mislabelled for decades prior to that.

Diet

Despite belonging to the carnivoran order, olinguitos are primarily frugivores. They feed on cloud forest fruits such as figs, as well as insects, nectar, and occasionally small vertebrates like birds and lizards. Their faeces are said to resemble small blueberries due to their fruit-heavy diet.

Mating and Reproduction

Very little is known about the reproductive behaviour of the olinguito, but it is believed they produce a single offspring at a time. Females have one pair of mammae. Their solitary lifestyle and canopy-based habits make studying them in the wild extremely difficult.

FAQs

How many olinguitos are left in the wild?

No population estimates exist for the olinguito, but scientists agree numbers are declining. Habitat modelling shows over 60% of their potential habitat is already deforested or degraded, suggesting a significant threat to survival (Helgen et al., 2013).

What is the lifespan of an olinguito?

Captive individuals like Ringerl—an olinguito unknowingly housed in US zoos for years—lived over a decade. Wild lifespan is presumed to be shorter, but specific data are lacking.

What are the main threats to the olinguito?

The biggest threats are deforestation and habitat loss driven by palm oil plantations, agriculture, and urbanisation. These activities have destroyed over 40% of their cloud forest habitat (Helgen et al., 2013). Climate change is also a growing concern due to their dependence on cool, moist mountain forests.

Do olinguitos make good pets?

No. Olinguitos are solitary, nocturnal, and specialised to live in misty canopy forests. Keeping them as pets is cruel and contributes to wildlife trafficking. Their capture disrupts family groups and decimates populations. If you care about olinguitos, do not fuel demand—speak out against the pet trade.

Take Action!

Olinguitos are an emblem of the hidden biodiversity in the world’s cloud forests—ecosystems that are vanishing fast.

• Boycott palm oil and demand truly forest-free alternatives.
• Support indigenous-led agroecology and forest protection efforts in the Andes.
• Refuse meat and dairy that drives deforestation in Colombia and Ecuador.
• Never support zoos or exotic pet collectors that remove wildlife from their habitats. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan #BoycottMeat

Support the Olinguito by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

Helgen, K. M., Pinto, C. M., Kays, R., Helgen, L. E., Tsuchiya, M. T. N., Quinn, A., Wilson, D. E., & Maldonado, J. E. (2013). Taxonomic revision of the olingos (Bassaricyon), with description of a new species, the olinguito. ZooKeys, 324, 1–83. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.324.5827

Helgen, K., Kays, R., Pinto, C., Schipper, J. & González-Maya, J.F. 2020. Bassaricyon neblina (amended version of 2016 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T48637280A166523067. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T48637280A166523067.en. Accessed on 02 May 2025.

Lee, T. E., Tinoco, N., Allred, F. G., Hennecke, A., Camacho, M. A., & Burneo, S. F. (2022). Small mammals of Otonga Forest Reserve, Cotopaxi Province, Ecuador. The Southwestern Naturalist, 66(1), 48–53. https://doi.org/10.1894/0038-4909-66.1.48

NBC News. (2013, August 16). ‘Cutest new animal’ discovered: It’s an olinguito! https://www.nbcnews.com/sciencemain/cutest-new-animal-discovered-its-olinguito-6C10925572

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Olinguito. Wikipedia. Retrieved 2 May 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olinguito

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

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2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Olinguito Bassaricyon neblina

Santa Catarina’s Guinea Pig Cavia intermedia

Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus

Asian Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus

Marsupials thought extinct for 6,000 years found in West Papua

Gursky’s Spectral Tarsier Tarsius spectrumgurskyae

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

So. Umgetopft.
den wurzelballen vom pappigen Torf befreit und in Sphagnum Moos gehüllt in vernünftiges Substrat gebettet.

#heliamphora #FleischfressendePflanzen #Carnivores #Karnivoren

Ich konnte nicht widerstehen und habe mir eine #Heliamphora angelacht.

#FleischfressendePflanzen #Carnivores

Gursky’s Spectral Tarsier Tarsius spectrumgurskyae

Gursky’s Spectral Tarsier Tarsius spectrumgurskyae

IUCN Red List Status: Vulnerable

Location: Indonesia (Sulawesi)

Found across the northern peninsula of Sulawesi in Indonesia, including from the northern tip to the Isthmus of Gorontalo, in primary forest, mangroves, and disturbed habitats with dense cover.

The Gursky’s spectral tarsier Tarsius spectrumgurskyae, also known locally as Wusing, is a recently recognised species of tarsier from northern Sulawesi. Listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, they have lost more than 30% of their habitat in the past two decades. #Deforestation for #palmoil and #timber, agricultural encroachment, illegal logging, and the #pettrade all threaten their fragile populations. Their survival depends on wild spaces thick with shrubby undergrowth—the very places being rapidly erased. If you love unique #primates like the spectral #tarsier, use your voice and wallet to protect their forest home. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

https://youtu.be/FqrauXhLBcY

Known locally as ‘Wusing’, Gursky’s Spectral #Tarsiers have enormous moon-like eyes to help them see in dark forests 🌛👀😽 #Palmoil and the #pet trade are serious threats. Help them survive when you #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🚜❌ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2026/02/22/gurskys-spectral-tarsier-tarsius-spectrumgurskyae/

Found in tree hollows of #Sulawesi #Indonesia, tiny #primates 🐵🧐 Gursky’s Spectral #Tarsiers are #carnivores with their food, #insects 🪲🦗 being poisoned by #palmoil and #pesticides ☠️ Fight for them! #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2026/02/22/gurskys-spectral-tarsier-tarsius-spectrumgurskyae/

Appearance & Behaviour

Gursky’s spectral tarsiers also known locally as ‘Wusing’ are hauntingly beautiful tiny #primates with enormous, forward-facing eyes that shine like twin moons in the night. These tiny nocturnal primates have a soft, greyish pelage and elongated fingers adapted for gripping tree branches. They are famed for their extreme leaping ability, known as vertical clinging and leaping (VCL), allowing them to spring through the forest canopy with precision and grace.

Highly social and vocal, they live in monogamous or polygamous groups of 2–11 individuals. At dawn, their eerie territorial duets echo through the forest just before they return to their sleeping sites in dense foliage or tree cavities. They are shy, elusive, and deeply dependent on forest structure to hide, hunt, and sleep.

Threats

Habitat Loss from Illegal Logging

The primary threat to Gursky’s spectral tarsier is the ongoing destruction of Sulawesi’s forests due to illegal logging. These small nocturnal primates depend on dense understorey vegetation and tree cavities for shelter and foraging. When forests are cleared, their sleeping sites vanish and prey becomes scarce, forcing them into smaller, fragmented patches of habitat. Even moderate disturbance causes a sharp drop in population density—from over 150 individuals/km² to as few as 45 in degraded areas (Merker, 2003).

Agricultural Expansion and Palm Oil Plantations

Much of the Gursky’s Spectral Tarsier’s lowland habitat has already been converted to palm oil and timber agriculture, and expansion continues. Between 1990 and 2000, 15.26% of Sulawesi’s forests were cleared for crops, with at least 10% more lost since then (Salim, pers. comm. in IUCN, 2020). Palm oil plantations are one of the main drivers of this forest conversion. Although the species can survive in agroforestry and disturbed areas, their numbers drastically decline when natural vegetation is replaced with monocultures.

Pesticide Exposure from Nearby Farms

Chemical pesticides used in adjacent agricultural zones contaminate the tarsiers’ insect prey, leading to bioaccumulation and poisoning. Tarsiers consume a diet entirely composed of live animal prey, mostly insects, which makes them highly vulnerable to pesticide residues. Ingestion of contaminated insects can lead to neurological damage, reproductive failure, or death, further weakening populations in edge habitats near farmlands.

Predation by Domestic Animals

Domestic dogs and cats introduced into forested areas pose a significant predation risk to tarsiers. These animals often accompany humans into disturbed or agricultural areas, where they hunt or scavenge. Tarsiers are small-bodied, slow on the ground, and often descend to low levels of the forest, making them easy targets. Predation by pets fragments already-vulnerable populations and disrupts group dynamics.

Illegal Capture for the Pet Trade

Although not widespread, the illegal pet trade is an emerging threat. Gursky’s spectral tarsiers are occasionally taken from the wild to be sold in local markets or online. These sensitive, nocturnal animals suffer tremendously in captivity, often dying due to stress, malnutrition, or improper care. Removing them from the wild also breaks apart family groups and contributes to long-term population decline.

Geographic Range

Gursky’s spectral tarsier is endemic to Indonesia, restricted to northern Sulawesi, from the northern tip of the peninsula to the Isthmus of Gorontalo. Their habitat includes lowland primary forests, secondary growth, mangroves, and areas with some human disturbance, such as agroforestry and selectively logged landscapes. However, their density drops dramatically as habitat degradation increases.

Diet

Their diet is 100% carnivorous, consisting entirely of live animal prey. They primarily consume insects such as moths and crickets but also hunt small vertebrates like frogs and lizards. Their night-time hunting is punctuated by bursts of movement and quiet observation as they stalk their prey through the understorey.

Mating and Reproduction

Although detailed reproductive data are scarce for this species, Gursky’s spectral tarsiers likely follow similar breeding patterns to other tarsiers. They are known to breed throughout the year, producing one offspring at a time after a gestation period of about six months. The young are born furred and open-eyed, clinging to their parent as they learn to navigate the trees.

FAQs

How many Gursky’s spectral tarsiers are left in the wild?

Precise population numbers of these tarsiers are not known, but density estimates suggest that in pristine habitats, up to 156 individuals per km² may exist (Gursky, 1997). However, in heavily degraded areas, this number can plummet to as low as 45 individuals per km² (Merker, 2003). Their fragmented range and habitat loss make accurate counts difficult, but population declines are expected to continue if deforestation is not halted.

What is their lifespan in the wild?

While specific data for Tarsius spectrumgurskyae is not available, other tarsier species can live between 8–12 years in the wild. In captivity, where threats like predation are removed, their lifespan may be slightly longer. However, these animals do not thrive in captivity and should never be kept as pets.

What challenges do they face in conservation?

One major challenge is habitat degradation due to logging, agriculture, and the spread of palm oil plantations. Though they can tolerate some disturbance, their population density drops significantly with increasing habitat destruction. Additionally, their small size and elusive nature make them difficult to monitor, and they are sometimes misidentified as other tarsier species, complicating conservation strategies.

Do Gursky’s spectral tarsiers make good pets?

No. These sensitive and social primates should never be kept as pets. Capturing them from the wild is cruel and contributes directly to population collapse. It destroys their family groups, causes immense suffering, and feeds into illegal wildlife trade networks. If you care about their survival, never buy a wild animal and advocate against exotic pet ownership.

Take Action!

The future of the Gursky’s spectral tarsier hangs by a thread. Forests are falling at an alarming rate, replaced with monocultures and poisoned with pesticides. Speak up. Refuse to fund deforestation-driven industries. Boycott palm oil. Protect what’s left of Sulawesi’s dwindling forests and support indigenous-led conservation efforts. Never buy wildlife as pets. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan #BoycottMeat

Support Gursky’s Tarsiers by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

Shekelle, M., Groves, C. P., Maryanto, I., & Mittermeier, R. A. (2017). Two new tarsier species (Tarsiidae, Primates) and the biogeography of Sulawesi, Indonesia. Primate Conservation, 31, 37–56. https://researchportalplus.anu.edu.au/en/publications/two-new-tarsier-species-tarsiidae-primates-and-the-biogeography-o

Shekelle, M. 2020. Tarsius spectrumgurskyae. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T162336422A162336580. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T162336422A162336580.en. Accessed on 06 April 2025.

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Gursky’s spectral tarsier. Retrieved April 6, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gursky%27s_spectral_tarsier

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• WordPress
• YouTube
• Mail
• Mastodon

Enter your email address

Sign Up

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Gursky’s Spectral Tarsier Tarsius spectrumgurskyae

Sunda Flying Lemur Galeopterus variegatus

Western Parotia Parotia sefilata

Capped Langur Trachypithecus pileatus

Mountain Tapir Tapirus pinchaque

Saola Pseudoryx nghetinhensis

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

Found in tree hollows of #Sulawesi #Indonesia, tiny #primates 🐵🧐 Gursky's Spectral #Tarsiers are #carnivores with their food, #insects 🪲🦗 being poisoned by #palmoil and #pesticides ☠️ Fight for them! #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife

http://palmoildetectives.com/2026/02/22/gurskys-spectral-tarsier-tarsius-spectrumgurskyae/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=jetpack_social

5yo wants to know: can all meat eaters eat pepperoni? ETA by meat eaters he’s thinking animal kingdom.

I feel like there’s always an edge case but I can’t figure out what it would be. Hive mind, what do you say?

#biology #carnivores

Matze von Greenjaws sagt, Schnee und Eis ist der beste Frostschutz für die Pflanzen.

Aber hier hätte ich wohl doch was drüber legen sollen. Die #pinguicula ist dann doch zu oft eingefroren. 

#FleischfressendePflanzen #Carnivores