3 March
LARGE portion of Southeast Asia’s bat population is currently at risk of extinction, a conservation expert announced at the 4th annual Southeast Asia Bat Conference hosted in the Philippines last year.
According the Southeast Asian Bat Conservation Research Unit, Southeast Asia is home to 379 of the 1370 bat species in the entire world – and yet rapid forest destruction threatens to wipe out 23% of the region’s bat population in the near future.
One quarter of Southeast Asian bats are in trouble. A huge problem is 23% threatened or near threatened. They will go extinct unless we change what’s happening to them now.
The loss of bats across Southeast Asia could have a more impactful effect on everyday life than most realise, as they play an important role in pollination and pest control.
Bird Cave in Kanbalu
A team carried out survey at a bird cave in Kanbalu Township, Sagaing Region, and disclosed that an estimated 1.1 million bats and 99 species of birds have been registered in the bat cave conservation area. The count was conducted between 16 and 19 January.
The Forest Department teamed up with the Wildlife Conservation Society (Myanmar Program) to carry out research on the population size of bats dwelling in the bat cave conservation area.
Additionally, 99 species of birds, including rare and endangered species, have also been recorded in the area.
The Sagaing Region Government has opened a bat cave natural conservation area in Kanbalu Township on 26 December. To conserve the cave area, which is mainly inhabited by bats, the government has already earmarked a total of 30,308 acres of land for bat cave conservation, including 3,674 acres of land in Mandalay Region’s Thabeikkyin Township, since 2016.
Bat Cave in Bamauk
It is found that about three species of bats are living in natural lime caves in Bamauk, Sagaing Region.
The bats population in the area is decreasing due to deforestation.
But conservation efforts for endangered species remain at a low in the region. Deforestation has been defined as a “modern day plague” in Southeast Asia, with the region having already lost more than 50% of its original forest cover.
Bats generally eat insects, while some can eat flowers and fruits.
They play a significant role in controlling insect populations and contribute to the ecosystem.
By Gyaw Orwell
