Bat population down; SBMA, Subic locators to the rescue

With the dwindling number of the biggest flying bats roosting here, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and locators inside this premier Freeport are doing everything they can to protect this species from habitat loss.

SBMA Chairman Robert Garcia said that the agency plans to conduct a bat-count on the population roosting at the Cubi area. He added that the count is currently at around 10,000 to 12,000 and hopes to further increase the number through a study of their roosting habits.

The ecology center of the SBMA has made studies on the number of bats that used to count to hundreds of thousands. They said that the bats used to roost to a higher location nearer to where they are now, beside the road near the Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA).

Considered as one of the biggest species of bats, these fruit bats or flying foxes have lived inside the Freeport Zone even before it was a US naval base. The number of these majestic flying foxes has dwindled since most of them have found other roosting areas in adjacent provinces or have been hunted for their meat.

Meanwhile, the non-government agency Wildlife In Need (WIN) recently held a fundraising event at the El Kabayo Stables. The fundraising event hoped to boost funds for the preservation of the animals here.

One of these animal species are the fruit bats. According to WIN President Gail Laule, they plan to conduct their own study of these animals and find out how to raise the number back to more than a hundred thousand.

Dubbed as “Unbridled at El Kabayo,” the fundraising event enjoined numerous locators inside the Freeport to donate money to provide food, shelter and medical care for the animals here. The agency also has a rescue center that helps animals who are injured and in need of medical care.

Laule said that the proceeds made from the event would also help these rescued animals, bringing them back to health and reintroducing them back to the wilderness. “Last year, we raised enough money to do some critical renovations of our macaque (monkey) enclosure so that they have a more comfortable home,” she added.

The event featured a horse riding and jumping exhibition, a parade of rescued animals, educational information of what the agency do, and other fun activities for the attendees.

With the number of tourists frequenting Subic Bay Freeport and the number of companies investing, it is really no wonder that most of the wildlife here are being disturbed and in desperate need of attention. The vast fauna of this Freeport is really one of the reasons why people visit Subic Bay. (Jonas Reyes, Manila Bulletin)

PHOTO:
THIS SIDE UP — Considered one of the biggest bats in the world, these fruit bats characteristically hang upside down their cages after being rescued and treated for various injuries and infections. The bats were presented during the ‘Unbridled at El Kabayo’ fund-raising event at Subic Bay Freeport recently to raise awareness and support for rescued animals under the care of the Wildlife in Need (WIN) rescue facility. (Jonas Reyes)

http://www.mb.com.ph/bat-population-down-sbma-subic-locators-to-the-rescue/#YJqLbDbLp0Jc4WW7.99

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Army base projects raise fears for Subic bats

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT—The military base expansion of the Armed Forces of the Philippines toward the forests inside this free port has drawn concern from conservationists because of its potential impact on the habitat of fruit bats thriving there, an official here said.

Roberto Garcia, chair of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), said the agency is closely monitoring the population of two species of bats dwelling in the free port’s forest, after groups expressed apprehension that increased human activity near the animals’ habitat would disrupt the bat community and deplete their population.

“We’re trying to protect the habitat [of the Acerodon jubatus or giant golden-crowned flying foxes, and the Pteropus vampyrus lanensis or Philippine giant fruit bat] since bats are known to be sensitive to noise,” said Garcia in a news conference on Monday.

Read more from original site -> http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/769186/army-base-projects-raise-fears-for-subic-bats

Related story: SBMA conducts bat count to preserve endangered species

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One of the smallest mammals thrive in Subic Bay

An Ayta jungle instructor displays a lesser bamboo bat (Tylonycteris pachypus), locally known as “Kabag” and said to be one of the smallest mammals on earth found in the Philippines, during a bird show at the Magaul Bird Park in the Subic Bay Freeport.

The bamboo bats, which may weigh from 3.5 to 5.8 grams, are endemic to Subic Bay with its large rainforest reserve, one of the biggest in the island of Luzon.

This species lives in the hollow of shoots of the giant bamboo Gigantochloa scortechinii; the entrance slit (created by the Chrysmelid beetle, Lasiochila goryi) to the bamboo tunnel is too restrictive for most predators, such as snakes. Flattened skull (to pass through entryway) and toe and wrist pads (to grip inner surface) are adaptations to their roosting site. Groups of up to 40. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA conducts bat count to preserve endangered species

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) recently completed a population survey of fruit bats, one of the most popular species endemic to this free port zone, to promote the conservation of these nocturnal mammals.

Led by the SBMA Ecology Center, which dubbed the survey as “Count Me In,” the survey engaged the participation of various stakeholders in the Subic Bay area to increase public awareness on the importance of fruit bats, or flying foxes; encourage stakeholders’ participation in the conservation program; and maintain the integrity of the forest to sustain their population.

The survey determined an estimate of the population of the flying foxes through exit count, and determined other exit routes of the flying foxes to serve as sampling locations.

“The last time we surveyed the number of bats here, it was around 10,000. But that number has dwindled due to human activities in the area,” noted Ecology Center chief Ameth Dela Llana-Koval. “There are still some people who hunt these bats for food, and some of these bats get killed when they roost at another place.”

According to the exit count for this month, only 2,070 bats exit to the Morong and Mariveles areas in Bataan during night time.

The biggest number of bats recorded on exit was around 14,000 in April of this year, while the smallest number exiting the Subic Freeport was only 400 in the month of September.

“We conduct surveys two times a year, trying to figure out their flight pattern,” Koval said. “The good thing about it is that when they come to roost here in the Freeport, they are very well protected. But when these bats roost outside our protective blanket, they are hunted and eaten as delicacies.”

This is where the idea of “Count Me In” came into play, Koval added, stressing that the public needs to be aware of the situation of these animals.

For the bat count project, the SBMA invited students and employees in the Freeport, limiting their age to 12 years old and above. The participants registered a month prior to the activity and paid P300 each to cover expenses for the training and orientation seminar for the bat-counting activity inclusive of the official “Count Me In” T-shirt that served to promote awareness of the project.

Only those that passed the training were allowed to join the bat survey on November 10-11.

The bat-counting activity was facilitated by the Ecology Center and undertaken by 10 teams at designated sampling stations. Each team was composed of an Ecology Center staff who acted as team leader, and five members who did the exit counts at specified sampling locations.

All data collected in the survey were collated by the Ecology Center. After the activity, the participants were put in the list of Ecology Center volunteer bat-counters who will be contacted periodically for future bat monitoring activities here.

Currently, the Subic Watershed and Forest Reserve is one of the few remaining undisturbed lowland dipterocarp forests in Luzon and serves as a habitat for various endemic wildlife species, among them the fruit bats or flying foxes.

A large roost of flying foxes composed of two species, Acerodon jubatus and Pteropus vampyrus are currently located adjacent to the Subic Bay International Airport, while a small roost of Acerodon jubatus is located in the Naval Magazine area.

Flying foxes, which have an average lifespan of up to 25-30 years, are the only mammals capable of true flight. They are nocturnal animals that travel to feed on fruits during the night, although some, especially mothers that nurse their young, hibernate and stay on their roost.

These mammals are known to be one of the most important agents of natural forest regeneration through flower pollination and seed dispersal. Unfortunately, these animals are endangered and hence need a high degree of conservation. (SBMA Corporate Communications)

PHOTO: Fying foxes roost at the Subic Freeport forest. Although one of the most important agents of natural forest regeneration, these nocturnal animals are endangered because of growing human activities in their natural habitat.

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