Tarsiers, in general, are unique primates with large eyes. Those big eyes give them exceptional sight in their nocturnal world and enable them to see the constellations which YOU were born under. While they once lived across Northern Africa, Europe, and even North America, they have since settled mainly in the southern Philippines—which they love (as we do) but are feeling the pressure of increased urbanizations (and, sadly, that’s partly our fault).

Tarsiers are generally monogamous and don’t like to be kept away from their mates. Cute as they are, they do NOT make good pets!

We met Spin in Bohol while camping near the Pangas Falls.

Friends of ours from Taiwan and Luzon had joined us on the hike, and we were playing “tongits” and drinking beer.

As the shadows were getting long, we realized we were nearly out of San Mig, so we hustled off to the relatively near-by “JM Eatery”, leaving our gear in place. The sun was just beginning to set behind the trees when we returned, only to come from behind and find this Tarsier going through our deck of cards. It heard us approach, and spun his head 180 degrees back to look at us degrees (like owls, tarsiers can do that). We instantly named the friendly tarsier “Spin.”

Spin turned back to the cards and placed one finger on an eight of hearts, then turned and pointed at our friend from Taiwan, Xiao Ai. “I was born in the year of the rooster.” she exclaimed. “Eight’s my lucky number!”

Then Spin shuffled through the cards, pointed at me, and pointed at a four of spades. “Uh, as an Aquarian, that’s supposed to be one of my lucky numbers.” Spin paused, and shuffled the cards till an eight appeared. “Wow, that’s one as well. But what about my third one?”

Spin shuffled through the deck till he found an ace and then a ten. With a finger on each card, he pointed at me again… “Blackjack!” I exclaimed, but that’s twenty-one…” Spin shook his head, lifted one finger off the ace and pointed at me again, waggling the one finger. “Ah, eleven,” I said. That’s right!”

Spin turned and started walking back towards the woods just as Kristine spoke up: “You know, I dreamed of something like this last night, but I thought it was all in my head” she said in Tagalog.

With that, Spin’s head turned nearly all the way around again, and looked at Kristine. Spin scampered back to the cards, shuffled through them till a ten of hearts came up. Spin pointed to the card and then to Kristine.

“Ten?” Kristine said. “That’s not a lucky number for me at all….”

“Chinese zodiac numbers are only single digits,” Xiao Ai said.

Spin’s head sadly shook.

Then Bryan quietly spoke up: “Kristine, you said you dreamed and thought it was all in your head. My grandmother from Pampanga was a kubrador… I remember she told me the lucky number for ‘ulo’. or ‘head’, in a dream is ten.”

Spin pointed at Bryan and nodded.

We stared at each other in astonished disbelief. Coincidences? Magic? San Mig? When we turned back, Spin was gone. “Spin mahika!” Kristine said in Tagalog. “Spin Magic.”

This site is dedicated to Spin and all the endangered Tarsiers in the Philippines.

If you find SpinMahika lucky for you, feel free to donate to the Tahir Conservation Area using the link below.