Pemba Flying Fox

There are occasions when there is some good news regarding wildlife and conservation. Here is a success story, that shows that we can stop a species from becoming extinct.

In the 1989 there were so few Pemba Flying Foxes, a fruit Bat, that it was expected to become extinct in the early 1990s. However, the conservation organisation Flora and Fauna International decided to try and save them.

The main treat was from hunting as the mammal was considered a delicacy. But with a low reproduction rate, one per pair per year, the bat seemed doomed. However after twenty years of work, predominantly changing attitudes as well as setting up reserves, a recent survey counted 22,000 individuals. A rare success in conservation.

A link to Flora and Fauna International who provided the picture.