Bat Conservation - Philippines

[Cheryl Jones]

Bats - most misunderstood and endangered wildlife

Davao City (16 June) -- Unknown to many, bats contribute a lot to the earth’s resources both environmentally and economically but their numbers are declining because people harm them.

Ecologist and founder/president of Bat Conservation International (BCI) Dr. Merlin D. Tuttle, PhD in a press conference at the Philippine Information Agency yesterday said bats are the most misunderstood and endangered wildlife that do a lot in helping farmers as well as maintain a balance ecosystem.

Tuttle together with biologist Dr. David L. Walden, PhD came to Davao upon the invitation of Norma Monfort, trustee of Monfort Bat Conservation Park in barangay Tambo, Island Garden of Samal to assess the condition of the bats nesting in the caves of the Monfort park.

Tuttle said bats are greatest pollinator of plants and the trees and forests highly depend on them for pollination and seed dispersal.

“Scientists around the world who served the BCI based in Houston, Texas starting in 1982 became concerned that bats essential to the balance of nature and human economies were in alarming declineâ€

[Amemeba]

Damnit! Why has it become my sad fate to dis my buddies de bats on a bat loving forum?

Why? I'll tell you why, because of the hyperventilating exaggerations of reporters and the indiscriminate reports of their reporting. E.G. as follows...

"Tuttle said bats are greatest pollinator of plants and the trees and forests highly depend on them for pollination and seed dispersal."

Eek! If my friends the bats are the greatest of pollinators then why are the few still left pollinating considered endangered?

Birds and insects are people too.

[Amemeba]

Speaking of bats: I am interested in hearing any reports of any observations of colonies of bats; do they spiral out clockwise ( as seen looking up) out of southern hemisphere caves in direct contrast with the mostly counter-clockwise spiral of our exiting bats here north of the Equator?

Once we know for sure what direction our northern bats screw themselves out of our caves, then we can focus on the why and what direction do they they screw themselves back in.