Why is the golden-capped fruit bat endangered

Why Am I Endangered?

Their Homes Are Being Destroyed!

Bats rely heavily on the forest and are habitat limited, as discovered by research that says that fruit bat populations and natural forest cover are parallel to each other. Forest resources have helped to fuel the economy, and the Philippines has been a big timber exporter. Because of the worldwide demand for timber, only 10% of the original primary forest remains (Mildenstein, T. & Paguntalan, L., 2016). In the image to the right, you can see how much the Philippines has been deforested since 1950. The areas in green represent areas where the fruit bats can live, and it is obvious that their habitat has been shrinking drastically. If the rate of deforestation continues, it is predicted that no primary forest will be left by 2030 (Mildenstein, T. & Paguntalan, L., 2016). Primary forest is the home of the golden-capped fruit bat, and it is their only home. Most secondary forest occurs in areas that the bats cannot get to, and even if they were able to get to the secondary forest, it is unlikely that they would stay. Researchers do not yet know if fruit bats can survive in secondary forests, and if they can not, their futures are looking very gloom (Mildenstein, T. & Paguntalan, L., 2016).

Bat Meat, Really?

In the Philippines, fruit bat hunting is illegal for everyone except certain indigenous tribes. Even though it is illegal, fruit bat hunting is not regulated properly so it continues to occur. Hunting can take place either when the fruit bats are foraging at night or when they are roosting throughout the day. The most damage is incurred when people hunt the fruit bats at the roost site. Fruit bats stick together and roost in very large numbers. Roost sites are their homes and they are where fruit bats sleep, so disturbances at roost sites can be very severe for them. Hunting induces a lot of stress for fruit bats and there is also a chance that an entire colony could be wiped out when hunting occurs at a roost site. There is a drastic difference in populations of fruit bats at protected and unprotected roost sites. Unprotected roost sites typically have 1/12 of the population of a protected roost site (Mildenstein, T. & Paguntalan, L., 2016). Obviously protected roost sites make a big difference for this species. With more pressure on the government, we could give these fruit bats more protected areas to rest.

Palm Oil: Bad for the Environment AND Filipinos

Other than logging, many other practices have been destroying the golden-capped fruit bat’s habitat. Kaingin (slash-and-burn) farming is used in the Philippines and destroys large swaths of fruit bat habitat. Palm oil plantations have been in the Philippines since the 1960s but they have always been on a small scale. The Filipino government is looking to change that. Companies based in countries like Malaysia and Indonesia have made offers to invest in the expansion of the palm oil industry in the Philippines (Miller, B., 2017). The expansion of the palm oil industry would have many negative repercussions on the environment and the citizens of the Philippines:

Palm oil has caused violence and death in the past, and the expansion of the industry would likely lead to more violence between insurgent groups and the government (Miller, B., 2017).
Palm oil typically uses slash-and-burn agriculture, a practice that has been hurting the environment in the Philippines already (Miller, B., 2017).
In other countries, palm oil plantations have lead to the marginalization of farmers and it would likely occur in the Philippines too (Miller, B., 2017).
The government claims that the plantations will help to reforest areas, but farms do not ecologically support plant and animal species like original primary forests (Reyes, E., 2014).
The expansion will lead to more deforestation and will continue to destroy the habitat for the golden-capped fruit bat (Reyes, E., 2014).

We can still stop the Philippine government from following through with their plan to expand their palm oil industry. You can sign a petition to help here.

Some Threats Are Not Anthropogenic

Natural disasters are common in the Philippines and are very harmful to the land. Volcanic eruptions have severely damaged tropical rainforests, and so have typhoons (Tacio, H. D., 2013). Every natural disaster kills animals and devastates forests and other ecosystems. Even if a golden-capped fruit bat is able to survive a volcanic eruption or a typhoon, it still has to struggle through the loss of a lot of their habitat. Natural disasters have always been a threat that every species has to deal with, and if it weren’t for humans it would be the only threat that the golden-capped fruit bat would have to face.

Mining is another issue that is degrading and removing forest cover which fruit bats need. Things such as copper, gold, chromite, and white clay are mined on the islands of Samar and Pangasinan. (Philippine Mining Development Corporation, 2007) On the island of Negros, there is a roost that is located in an area where copper and gold are mined for (Mildenstein, T. & Paguntalan, L., 2016). This is very bad fruit bats because their habitat is being removed and they are also likely disturbed in these areas. Mining is just another example of humans valuing themselves and money over wildlife. Sustainable mining practices and more regulation could help to alleviate this issue.

Minerals More Important Than Natural Habitat?

The increasing human population in the Philippines is causing many people to move to rural areas and is also causing large cities to expand outward. In 1940, the population of the Philippines was 19 million and by 2020 the population is projected to be 111.7 million (Tacio, H. D., 2013). This is a massive growth in the population, and the trend is likely to continue. More people means more land needs to be used for agriculture and for people to live on. The forests are being invaded and so are the habitats of the golden-capped fruit bat. They are being disturbed in their own homes, their homes are being destroyed, and their homes are also being invaded. With nowhere to live, this species will not be able to survive. Humans should not have the right to every piece of land on the planet, we need to leave some of it for the beautiful species that call Earth their home. The golden-capped fruit bat calls the Philippines their home, and they should be just as entitled to their land as humans.

Humans Invading the Rainforest

A Bat For A Pet?

In the 1980s and 90s, thousands of fruit bats were exported annually from the Philippines. Although there are not exact numbers for the total of golden-capped fruit bats that were exported, many out of the thousands of fruit bats were thought to be the golden-capped fruit bat. Countries like Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) rely heavily on the Philippines as a source of fruit bats. 2,471 fruit bats were exported to Guam in 1986 and 2,477 were exported to the CNMI between 1986 and 1989 (Mickleburgh, S. P., Hutson, A. M., & Racey, P. A., 1992). Fruit bats are typically sold for 15-30 pesos, a small price for the harm that pet trading induces on bat populations (Mildenstein, T. & Paguntalan, L., 2016).

Most of the time, poachers aren’t even targeting the golden-capped fruit bat. Instead, they are looking for very similar looking fruit bats. The main difference between the value of golden-capped fruit bats and other fruit bats in the Philippines is that the golden-capped fruit bat has a bad odor and others do not smell (Mildenstein, T. & Paguntalan, L., 2016). Poachers are targeting endangered species, but the biggest thing that they are worried about is the smell of the fruit bat. Golden-capped fruit bats are often killed then discarded because of their odor. People are doing this on a daily basis and no one is facing any punishment. The golden-capped fruit bat is just caught in the crossfire and it has certainly suffered the consequences.

"If the rate of deforestation continues, it is predicted that no primary forest will be left by 2030"(Mildenstein, T. & Paguntalan, L., 2016).

Although said to be protected, the three most protected roosting sites, located on Boracay, Subic, and Mambukal in the Philippines, still face a vast amount of disturbance. All three islands, or island regions, are largely populated tourist destinations. In some ways, tourists help to improve the Golden-Capped Fruit Bat’s status by raising awareness and donating to their cause, but they cause a great deal of disturbance to the natural roosting sites and habitats of the Golden-Capped Fruit Bat. Some examples of tourism having a bad effect on the Golden-Capped Fruit Bat roosts are: loud and repetitive hand clapping, or deliberately tapping the roost trees to make the bats fly. Put yourself in the Golden-Capped Fruit Bat’s situation, would you enjoy the constantly loud and unusual noises in your home? Not only is tourism disruptive towards the bats, but their roosting sites are a place for them to regain and rebuild the energy that they’ve exhausted. Therefore making these large bats weaker and weaker with every disturbance.