The two scientists believe that hunting The Mauritian fox bat will make the flooding in Mauritius more severe, and it will also bring other problems.
The Mauritian fox bat lives only on the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean.
Photo by Jacques de Speville
撰文:Paul A. Racey、Rodrigo A. Medellin
The island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean is home to a strange-looking bat. This bat has a fox-like face, is large, and has a wingspan of 0.7 meters, so it is called a fox bat.
Mauritius is half the size of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, and the flying fox is an endemic species of its body, with a yellow fur known as "flying liquid gold." ”
Not only do Mauritian foxbats look good, but they also bring important benefits to the ecosystem, such as pollinating flowers and helping many plants to spread seeds, while some plants are endemic to Mauritius, making them essential for restoring forests that have been destroyed.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature recently listed the Mauritius fox bat as a vulnerable species, but it remained endangered until 2013. The IUCN made this change in consideration of a number of factors, one of which is that in the future humans will not hunt fox bats.
The fox bat is named after its fox-like face, which can reach a wingspan of up to 0.7 meters, and is the larger species of bat.
Today, several experts estimate that the Mauritian fox bat is at most a few tens of thousands. The Mauritian government released a figure of 90,000, although organizations including the Mauritius Wildlife Foundation have questioned it.
Fruit crops such as lychees and mangoes are the mainstay of Mauritius' economy, and with unfounded belief that foxbats are responsible for its massive production cuts, the Mauritian government is now killing foxes, killing as many as 18,000 foxes. Some of the foxes were even killed in protected areas.
However, there is little scientific data to investigate and analyse the actual causes of the decline in fruit production. In 2014, the Mauritius Wildlife Foundation conducted its first study on the effects of bats, as well as other animals such as birds and mice, on fruit crops, and found that bats do "considerably less damage to fruit crops." ”
Here's why we believe the practice of killing Mauritian foxbats is wrong:
Bats are good for the forest. Mauritius has less than 2% forest cover. In 2013, the country was hit by major floods, and extensive deforestation is likely responsible for the worsening of flooding. Without forest protection, heavy rains can be like no man's land, causing flooding of large areas and damaging human infrastructure.
Fox bats can scatter seeds and pollinate flowers, so they are very helpful in restoring lost forests. Therefore, hunting foxes is detrimental to both the people of Mauritius and nature.
The Mauritian fox bat remains a vulnerable species. Whether it's a natural disaster like a hurricane or anthropogenic pressures like deforestation, it can pose a great threat to the survival of foxbats. Although the International Union for Conservation of Nature recently tentatively listed foxbats as vulnerable species, hunting them is unreasonable and poses a greater risk to their survival.
Mauritius already has 2 species of fox bat extinct. In the coming decades, we believe that Mauritius must not want to be the first country in history to cause the extinction of a species of fox bat.
Bats are not evil species. Bats still carry a negative image, and thousands of people are struggling to change that. Many countries around the world have successful bat conservation projects, and the image of many bats has been improved as a result.
Benefiting from this, the benefits of bats are also becoming more and more prominent, such as sowing seeds, pollinating, and pest control. The hunting of Mauritian foxbats not only conveys the wrong message, but also highlights The disconnect of Mauritius from the modern world.
The Mauritian fox bat has a yellow fur and is therefore known as "flying liquid gold." ”
Hunting Mauritian fox bats is inhumane. When government officials hunt foxbats, the deaths do not stop at the dead: many of the foxes hunted are lactating female bats, so their offspring are destined to slowly starve to death. Many bats are only injured and not killed immediately, so many more will die one after another.
Hunting Mauritian fox bats is against science. For a long time, the Mauritian government has relied on solid scientific evidence to make management decisions, consulting with the best experts to formulate policies and implement them. We urge the Government of Mauritius to reconsider its decision to hunt foxbats and to halt the hunt before the foxes become critically endangered.
(Translator: Stray Dog)