Source : The Star, Malaysia, 05 June '05
By : Teoh Teik Hoong
  

“Malaysia is a very important country for bat diversity in the whole world,” said Malaysian Bat Conser- vation Research Unit (MBCRU) director Dr Tigga Kingston. “We have 20 species of fruit bats and 105 insectivorous bats, and this is amazing.”

However, she said, all the species in the country are not protected and their survival is threatened.

According to the MBCRU, 31 species in Malaysia are now listed on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List of threatened and endangered species.

Dr Kingston: ‘We have 20 species of fruit bats and 105 insectivorous bats, and this is amazing’

The main threat to the bats is environmental disruption, which is seen in the destruction of their rain forest habitat. Furthermore, most bat species give birth to only one baby per year, so they multiply at a relatively slow pace. And bats have a fairly long lifespan (as long as 30 years in some species), so the loss of one female bat has a major effect on the rate of reproduction.

Pesticide use in agricultural areas is also a threat to the survival of the species in Malaysia, said Dr Kingston.

Over half of the species in this country are found in the Krau Wildlife Reserve in Pahang, which is the main research site for the MBCRU.

According to Dr Kingston, the MBCRU is focussed on long-term research, capacity building and environmental education to promote the conservation of the unique bat fauna in Malaysia.

The number of species recorded so far here could be the tip of the iceberg, as there may be more unrecorded species waiting to be discovered, she said.

Not only are bats a key component of Malaysian biodiversity, but they also provide valuable pollination and seed-dispersal services and do a booming business in insect-removal. The bats' seed dispersal service is crucial in forest regeneration.

“Enjoying the king of fruits may be more difficult in the future since the durian flowers are mainly pollinated by flying foxes, which are bats. Durian flowers are adapted for bats and only open at night. When a durian tree is flowering, it is swarmed by bats,” Dr Kingston explained.

Yield of other trees like petai, langsat and rambutan will also drop without the bats around, she said.

“Bats have a huge but unseen role in agriculture, especially in keeping insect numbers down,” she added.

Dr Kingston said with agriculture being the main push for the country, it was important for the authorities to protect the bats at the same time.