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Asia Projects
Southeast Asia
Central/South Asia
HUNTING AND TRADING OF LARGE FLYING FOXES IN AND AROUND PALAGKA RAYA, CENTRAL KALIMANTAN, INDONESIAN BORNEO
This is a pilot project to establish methods, identify new flying fox source locations, and attract funding for a major initiative to survey hunting levels in newly identified source areas, and carrying out market surveys to identify the presence/absence of the flying fox trade in other major towns in Central Kalimantan. Ultimately, the goal is to survey flying fox populations, recruitment, roost sites and colony movements (a PhD student will be recruited for this). Reports and scientific publications will be produced in both English and Indonesian at the end of each phase. 1ST SOUTH-EAST ASIAN BAT CONFERENCE
BAT COUNT PHILIPPINES
Lubee initially seed funded this project as”” Philippines Bat Count 2002”, which was extended in 2003 and has been growing in size ever since, and now aims to become a national scale monitoring project. The team initially surveyed over twenty large flying fox roosts to establish baseline information on population sizes and species proportions, discovering that the proportion of Acerodon jubatus in mixed species roosts was well below the level previously thought – putting the conservation status of this species into question. At each roost site they are promoting public education and awareness of flying foxes, and building the capacity of local protected area managers by training them in the simple and inexpensive field techniques for flying fox population monitoring. PHILIPPINE FRUIT BAT CONSERVATION PROGRAM
As part of the PFBCP, a PhD student was funded by Lubee: Feeding ecology and energetic of there pteropid bats in the Philippines Ruth Utzurram, PhD student of Prof Tom Kunz 1998, Boston University Partners: Lubee, Word Wildlife Fund US, Chicago Zoological Society, MacArthur Foundation ECOLOGY BEHAVIOR AND CONSERVATION OF OLD WORLD FRUIT BATS IN MALAYSIA : THE CHEMICAL ECOLOGY OF FRUIT BAT FORAGING BEHAVIOR, IN RELATION TO THE FRUIT ODORS OF BAT-DISPERSED FIGS (FICUS SPP.) IN THE PALAEOTROPICS.
ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION OF THE ENDEMIC NICOBAR FLYING FOX (PTEROPUS FAUNULUS) IN THE NICOBAR GROUP OF ISLANDS, INDIA
Direct threats to this species include hunting and habitat loss. This project discovered that most of the hunting of fruit bats is carried out in the foraging sites and surprisingly little at their day roosts. Hunting of other fauna was also recorded most of which are schedule I species. Education programs in the local language were developed and implemented in 11 villages in the Central Nicobar Islands, addressing the need to minimize hunting to target groups including hunters and villagers living close to the roost sites. This project was interrupted by the Tsunami, and the bat team participated in Tsunami relief work. Click to download and read a Technical Report of this project.
SURVEYS TO DETERMINE THE STATUS OF THE LARGE FLYING FOX, PTEROPUS VAMPYRUS, IN PENINSULAR MALAYSIA
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The status of the Large Flying Fox (Pteropus vampyrus natunae) is unknown over much of its range an in those areas where data are available, declines have been noted. This species is listed on CITES Appendix II (species which may become threatened if trade is not controlled) but is not listed on the IUCN Red List 2004. Though 37 other species of Pteropus are listed with status’ ranging from near threatened to extinct, no data are available on P.v. Natunae. The flying fox population surrounding the Palagka Raya is currently threatened with extinction due to hunting and habitat loss. One of the hunting surveys in this study will be carried out in the Sebangau National Park (15km south of Palangka Raya), while the other sites have no protected status. The other hunting survey location is Tangkiling Hills (30km NW). Market surveys will be carried out at four known markets in Palangka Raya and at any additional markets that come to light during the course of the research. Additional market surveys will be carried out in two main river junction towns: Kuala Kapuas (80km SE) and Kasongan (60 km NW). 
For historical, financial and logistical reasons, research and outreach in many countries in South-East Asia is in its infancy, yet there are a growing number of young regional scientists and international collaborators dedicated to bat research and conservation in the region. Because of the taxonomic continuity of SE Asia, researchers share many common objectives and conservation issues yet to date there has been no venue for exchange of ideas and techniques, nor for discussion and synthesis of region-wide research and conservation objectives. Heavy deforestation in progress in Southeast Asia is expected to lead to extinction of many bat taxa, with upper-bound estimates of regional species losses exceeding 40% and global extirpation anticipated for at least 23% of Southeast Asia’s bat fauna by 2100. Moreover, in recent years, several bat species have been implicated in the emergence of infectious diseases. Disease management that is not underpinned by detailed research and comprehensive outreach is likely to impact bat conservation still further. Accurate surveys, taxonomic revisions, conservation research and outreach activities are urgently needed across the region if we are to reduce the impact of forest loss and ameliorate public or governmental responses to bats as reservoir hosts of infectious diseases. This conference aims to address these issues by (1) Providing the first opportunity for regional scientists to meet and exchange ideas, and to interact with international researchers, (2) Providing afternoon techniques workshops and capacity building exercises, including evening bat catches, (3) Providing discussion forums on specific topics, including the complexities of fruit bat conservation given their as pests of fruit crops and, (4) Collating a literature library. 
Large flying foxes in insular Southeast Asia are the most threatened of the Old World fruit bats due to deforestation, unregulated hunting, and little conservation commitment from local governments. Up to now, there have been only a few studies on these bats that provide information useful to their conservation management. This project aims to promote the conservation of large flying foxes in the Philippines by providing protected area managers with the training and the baseline information necessary to design and implement a long-term management plan for flying foxes. The team's efforts are focused on the globally endangered Philippine endemics, Acerodon jubatus and Acerodon leucotis, and the bats that commonly roost with them, Pteropus hypomelanus and Pteropus vampyrus lanensis, which are thought to be declining in the Philippines. 
Lubee has supported fruit bat conservation in the Philippines since 1992. Lubee’s in situ partnership began with support of the fruit bat component of the Threatened Endemic Mammals Project, initiated by William Oliver of Fauna and Fauna International, thru a joint agreement between the Lubee Bat Conservancy and several Philippine groups, including the Department of Environment & Natural Resources, Silliman University, and CENTROP (Center for Tropical Conservation Studies). The project focused on initiating a captive breeding program for primarily Pteropus leucopterus, Acerodon jubatus, and Pteropus pumilus. In addition, a local education campaign was started to heighten environmental awareness and conservation in the region, and field surveys and ecological studies were undertaken to better understand the status of fruit bats in the Philippines. Logistical problems related to the remoteness of the original captive breeding facility site, and the need to refurbish bat enclosures, led to the transfer of all bats in 2000 to enclosures at the A.Y. Reyes Zoological and Botanical Garden run by Silliman University in Dumaguete City. Here Acerdon jubatus have bred successfully and the bats are maintained in exhibit enclosure viewed by 5,000 visitors/year. Apolinaro Carina, a student from Silliman University recently received training at Lubee and materials to take back A. Y Reyes to band the captive bats. Breeding patterns observed indicate that A. jubatus may breed only once every two years, raising concerns over its precarious population status. 
The goals of this study were to investigate the fruit odors of two bat-dispersed fig species in the Palaeotropics, in relation to the foraging behavior of fruit bats, to test the following hypotheses: 1) fruit odor plays a critical role for the location and selection of ripe figs by fruit bats, 2) bat-dispersed fig species are characterized by the same, or similar, chemical compounds, and 3) total scent production, in bat-dispersed figs, increases significantly when fruits ripen. We then performed bioassays to test the effect of both natural and synthetic fig fruit odors on the foraging behavior of the short-nosed fruit bat (Cynopterus brachyotis)—an important disperser of fig species within the study area. Fruit bats responded to both visual and chemical (olfactory) cues when foraging for figs. However, the strongest foraging reaction, resulting in a landing or feeding attempt, was almost exclusively associated with the presence of a ripe fruit odor—either in combination with visual cues, or when presented on its own. Fruit bats also used fruit odors to distinguish between ripe and unripe fruits. In total, 18 principle compounds were identified in the ripe fruit odor of Ficus hispida, and 15 in the ripe fruit odor of F. scortechinii, including alcohols, ketones, and esters. An additional four compounds also were recorded in F. hispida, but not identified—three of which also occurred in F. scortechinii. In total 15 compounds were present in the ripe fruit odors of both species. Total scent production increased significantly in both species when fruits ripened. Both natural and synthetic fruit odors resulted in feeding attempts by fruit bats, with no feeding attempts elicited by unscented controls. Reaction rates to natural fruit odors were significantly higher than those towards synthetic blends. Thus, fruit bats can either discriminate between natural odors and synthetic blends, or compounds that are attractive to bats were missing from the synthetic blends. 
Action Tayam-peh is a community project in the Nicobar Group of Islands which aimed to determine the ecology and threats to the Nicobar flying fox (Pteropus faunulus), an endemic species restricted to the North and Central Nicobar Group of Islands. In a survey funded by BPCP in 2003, the Nicobar Flying fox was rediscovered after almost a century. The survey also confirmed that the species was locally extinct on Car Nicobar Island. Lubee provided radio tracking equipment to follow bats and describe foraging areas and day roosts. 
In 2000/2001, an 11-month survey was conducted to assess the relative abundance and distribution of the large flying fox, Pteropus vampyrus, in peninsular Malaysia. A total of 115 locations were visited based on sites that were identified from personal observations, published records, and information obtained from local villagers and wildlife and forestry personnel. The survey suggests a severe decline in the abundance and distribution of P. vampyrus throughout peninsular Malaysia. At nearly half of all sites visited, there were no recent records or observations of this species. Several sites were used on a seasonal basis, others appeared to have been abandoned due to disturbance or habitat loss, and still others may have been extirpated by hunting. Most extant colonies are presumably located deep in isolated and inaccessible forests and in dense riparian vegetation such as mangrove and freshwater swamps. Malaysian researchers Azlan & Zubaid believe that unregulated hunting and habitat loss are the primary reasons for the decline in abundance of this species in peninsular Malaysia. Inadequacies in existing laws need to be addressed and a public awareness program launched so that an effective conservation and management plan can be formulated to ensure the long-term survival of this ecologically important species. - Home
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