|
Setting A Bat Conservation Example For Species Survival By Rick Gregory Do you support bat conservation? That’s right, those supposedly creepy rat-looking creatures with wings.
Malaysia is a global centre of bat diversity. There are 118 species of these flying mammals living in the jungles, mangroves, caves, temples and housing estates throughout the country. None of Malaysia's bat species drink blood. The big ones eat fruit and the smaller ones eat insects. Only three species out of over 1000 worldwide are bloodsuckers. And all three live outside Asia. In the rainforests of Pahang a mixed assemblage of students and professionals banded together to study bat conservation techniques. So what do two city nature reserve officers from Singapore, three east coast college students, a conservationist from Sarawak, a gap school volunteer from England and an elephant sanctuary manager have in common? A batty disposition for saving bats and other wildlife.  The Krau Wildlife Reserve, a 53,000 hectare nature haven with exemplary lowland rainforests, provides the backdrop for the study group of the Bat Identification and Survey Techniques Workshop run by the Malaysian Bat Conservation Research Unit (MBCRU). Krau is a special wild place. Its intact primary rainforests nourish diverse plant and animal communities, among them 53 species of insectivorous bats within a three square kilometer area – a world record. “The Krau Reserve is probably the only site for long term monitoring of bats at this level,” explains Dr. Tigga Kingston, one of the MBCRU directors. ”All our sites are below 300 metres and in very good lowland rainforest that allows us to look at roosting patterns.” Benjamin Lee and Derek Liew Chan Hing are urbanites working in a green lung. As conservation officers for the Singapore National Parks Board, they sought to learn the necessary skills to survey and handle bats. Each night mist and canopy nets were set at locations near banana plantations or in the nearby river to trap bats. “For me hands on experience is critical,” said Derek “I now feel like I have it.” For his colleague, Benjamin, the workshop prepared them to meet three critical goals to protect the island’s 22 bat species:
- how to conduct surveys to document roosting sites in urban areas
- how to expand outreach programmes and
- how to explore the outer islands to monitor species diversity.
John Northridge, 19 and lean, came to Malaysia from England without a clue about bat conservation. He volunteered. As a gap year student sent by World Challenge Expeditions, John was thrown into the jungle to assist the research projects with Rakhmad Sujarno, a UKM graduate student. “I love the rainforest,” said John, “It’s so noisy!” Odd but true thought, as earlier unseen gibbons bellowed mocking calls and hornbills whooshed overhead. Working as a team, each captured bat was measured and checked against earlier records. It was John’s second to last day in Krau after three months of jungle life before going back home to study biology. “Well I’m in a lot better shape than when I came,” he said as we trekked to the next grid junction. His physique may be toned, but already he has honed skills beyond his years. Melvin Gumal is from Sarawak. He knows a lot about bat conservation and other wildlife concerns.  As a former officer with the state’s National Parks and Wildlife Division, Melvin has dealt with habitat loss and hunting pressure faced by these flying mammals. As an experienced professional he also had a personal goal. “I came here to learn,” said the easy going Melvin. “I want to know more about capturing techniques and how to handle bats.” Field research is vital to understand the dynamics and dilemmas confronting wildlife. But how are these answers translated to the public to meet bat conservation goals? The elephant conservation centre at Kuala Gandah is the base of operations for translocating these massive endangered animals to suitable sites. It also seeks to make people aware of the problems of encroachment of Asian elephant habitats and human conflicts. Visitors can ride atop elephants, feed them and accompany these large pachyderms in the river to bathe. They also learn about smaller things. They learn about bats. Nasharuddin, a man as gentle as an elephant, manages Kuala Gandah. He took an active interest when the MBCRU set up shop at his centre. In the specimen preparation room, Nasharuddin sits next to young local students and foreign assistants and cradles a bat while taking instruction on what to measure. When participants check mist and canopy nets at night, he often follows and talks to them. But the real value of his extended education is inside the visitors’ centre, where hundreds of open-eyed youngsters, keen to absorb animal facts, come each year. In the same room as an enormous elephant skull, these kids view displays on bat conservation Over a quarter of the bats in Malaysia are threatened, some close to extinction. Other bat species are suffering major declines. Not all of them can adapt and survive.
Return To Top
| For permission to use articles from Jungle Essays, please Request For Article to avoid copyright problems. |
Go to Jungle Essays
From Bat Conservation to Home
|
