Let me clarify… luckily that late 90’s fad is extinct, but the pygmy Tarsier, a Furbyish looking primate previously believed to be extinct is not.  Recently Texas A&M University anthropologists, led by Sharon Gursky-Doyen, trapped three of these teeny tiny animals that have not been seen alive for 85 years.

The Pygmy Tarsier is about the size of a mouse and weighs in at less than 2 oz.  This nocturnal animal makes it’s home in the mountainous region of Indonesia.  This harsh terrain, the animals miniscule stature and nigh owl nature makes them difficult to find and subsequently difficult to study.

Over a two-month period, using approximately 276 mist nets, the team trapped two males and one female on Mt. Rore Katimbo in Lore Lindu National Park in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. The animals have been outfitted with radio collars so they can track their movements.

Gursky-Doyen is hopeful that now that her team and the Indonesian government know the where abouts of this rare little animal they can protect them from the encroaching development, and prevent a real extinction.

Source: Science Daily