Bats are especially feared and hated in Ecuador, where myths and misinformation abound. And besides human persecution, the nation's bats face the rapid loss of habitat. But local biologists are trying to change that through education and research.
With a grant from BCI's Global Grassroots Conservation Fund, the team went to work during the past two years in a barely studied coastal, dry-forest area called the Bosque Protector Cerro Blanco. Dry forests are tropical regions that, because of local geography, receive far less rainfall than the rain forests. Ecuador's dry forests are listed by the World Wildlife Fund as “critically endangered,” which does not bode well for the bats that live in these habitats.
The initial work involved identifying bats that inhabit the 23.5 square miles (6,078 hectares) of the Cerro Blanco forest. By capturing and examining countless bats, the field team, led by biologists Rafael Ángel and Jaime Salas, identified 21 bat species, including the threatened little fruit-eating bat (Artibeus fraterculus).
The team searched in vain for four other species that were previously reported in the forest but whose original habitat has been largely replaced by farms and towns. These are the ghost bat (Diclurus albus), smoky bat (Amorphochilus snachblii), long-tongued bat (Lonchophylla hesperia) and dog bat (Molossus molossus). Their current status in Ecuador is completely unknown.
New data on the distribution, abundance and importance of bat species in the Cerro Blanco will be used to prepare conservation strategies for this and other dry forests in Ecuador.
The project also developed, with help from Bat Conservation International, a variety of educational materials designed to enlighten young Ecuadorians about the true nature and importance of bats. Nearly 600 schoolchildren in and near the Cerro Blanco forest participated in bat-education programs.
Meanwhile, the team distributed 3,873 copies of educational materials in the region. One of the most popular was a delightful comic book called Club Quiróptero. It featured a heroic band of bats that demonstrate their gentle nature and ecological value to a human doubter.
The project is seeking a Global Grassroots Conservation Fund grant of $800 to print more copies of the comic book and other educational materials.
To contribute to this project or to support Bat Conservation International's Global Grassroots Conservation Fund, please contact Nicole Daspit or (512) 327-9721.
