APPROXIMATELY 3,000 Philippine fruit bats, or large flying foxes, are being monitored by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Soccsksargen (DENR-12) through a fly-out exit count using estimation tools and clickers. It was part of the second-semester flying fox monitoring conducted in Kulaman Valley, Arakan, Kidapawan City.
The monitoring covered two roosting sites spread across 18 snag trees, revealing a significant decline in the bat population compared to previous assessments. The primary factors contributing to this decline are hunting and habitat loss, posing serious threats to the species' survival.
The large flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus), one of the largest bat species, weighs between 0.65 to 1.1 kg (1.4 to 2.4 lbs) and has a wingspan of up to 1.5 meters (4 feet 11 inches). It is classified as endangered under DENR Administrative Order No. 2019-09 and was also listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2022.
In response to these challenges, DENR-12 has intensified its conservation efforts to protect flying foxes, which play a vital role as pollinators and seed dispersers, helping regenerate natural forests. Their preservation indirectly benefits communities in forest buffer zones, ensuring access to essential resources like water, timber, non-timber forest products, and natural protection against extreme weather events like flooding.
Moreover, as effective conservation species, flying foxes help protect broader ecosystems. Safeguarding their habitats ensures the survival of numerous other species that share the same environment. EEF
