Green Options » bat

$800,000 in Grants Awarded to Research Deadly White-Nose Syndrome in Bats

Rhishja Larson — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:47:25 +0000

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has awarded 6 grants totaling $800,000 to determine the cause and stop the spread of deadly white-nose syndrome that has killed over a million bats in the Northeast.

Six grants have been awarded through the USFWS Preventing Extinction program for research to determine the cause, find a cure, and stop the spread of deadly white-nose syndrome in bats. Since its discovery in 2006, white-nose syndrome (WNS) has killed more than a million bats of six species in nine states - and biologists warn this is most devastating wildlife health crisis to face North America in the last 100 years.

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Bats: 10 Essential Bat Facts, Plus Photo Gallery!

Rhishja Larson — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:37:52 +0000

Bats may be considered a spooky Halloween mascot, but they are actually one of the most beneficial animals on the planet: 70% of the world’s bat species feed on insects - and one bat can consume up to 1,000 insect pests in an hour. Bats also play a critical role in pollination and seed dispersal.

Despite the fact that bats occur nearly everywhere on earth (except for arctic and desert extremes), 60 species of bats are listed as endangered. And in the U.S., an estimated million or more hibernating bats of six species have been killed by White-nose Syndrome (WNS) in nine states since 2006.

To help raise awareness for bats, here is a compilation of 10 facts about bats - and a diverse photo gallery of bat species celebrating the surprising cuteness of these creatures. Enjoy!

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World’s Largest Bat — “Flying Fox” — Threatened with Extinction, Largely Due to Hunting

Zachary Shahan — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:20:18 +0000

Around 22,000 “large flying foxes” — the largest fruit bat in the world — are legally killed every year in Peninsular Malaysia by hunters. At this rate, scientists say the bat could go extinct in the near future.

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African Roast Bat is Off the Menu, Population Soars

Andrew Williams — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 11:26:12 +0000

A colony of giant African bats has made a dramatic return from the brink of exctinction, thanks to a conservation drive discouraging people from eating them as delicacies.

As recently as 1989, the Pemba Flying Fox, one of Africa’s largest bat species, was critically endangered, with only a few individuals left on Pemba Island, off the coast of Tanzania. Since an intervention by Flora and Fauna International (FFI), numbers have soared to a staggering 22,000.

According to conservation worker, Joy Juma, “At one time roast bat was a very common dish on Pemba. Now people value the bats for different reasons.”

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Endangered Giant African Bat Emerges From Near Extinction

Sam Aola Ooko — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 11:19:35 +0000

An endangered giant African bat has been spotted again in swelled numbers by conservationists who think it may have emerged from near extinction.

Under the constant watch of environmental conservation groups for more than two decades, the fruit bat with a wing span of almost 6 feet wide has faced numerous odds to recover its numbers which now stand at a remarkable 22,000, according to a newly released research finding.

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