- Common Name
- Brazilian Funnel-eared Bat
- Scientific Name
- Natalus macrourus
- Status
- Near Threatened
- Location
- Brazil
The goal of this work is to utilize legal protection measures and tax incentives to provide long-term protection for 70 important cave roosts, protecting 82 species of bats.
The Need
Supporting 15-20% of the world’s biological diversity, Brazil is one of the few mega-diverse countries in the world. However, deforestation, agricultural intensification and expansion, mining, and urban sprawl are leading to the destruction of critical biomes and driving species to the brink of extinction. Bats are no exception, and with 182 species recorded, Brazil supports one of the richest diversities of bats in the world. With almost half of these species known to rely on caves, protecting these vulnerable sites is a priority for conservation efforts, especially when considering out of the 22,000 recorded caves in Brazil only 11 specialist hot caves remain, of which only three are located in protected areas.
Our Approach
In collaboration with the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR in Brazilian Portuguese), and the Environmental Regularization Program (PRA in Brazilian Portuguese) we are working towards finding mechanisms that ensure land surrounding key cave roosts receives protected area status. This creates a win-win situation as the designation of conservation units also benefits land owners who can get more resources from the State through the Ecologic Tax on Circulation of Goods and Services, ensuring long-term protection.
Our Impact
While ensuring all hot caves in Brazil are protected would be a significant milestone for bat conservation, we are aiming for a greater impact. We will leverage the urgency of protecting hot caves to achieve greater protection of all important bat caves across Brazil. Ultimately, we aim to protect up to 70 caves across the country, protecting up to 82 species of bats, numbering millions of individuals.
The Bats
The Brazil Team
Jennifer Barros, Ph.D. – Gerente do Programa Brasil
As BCI’s Brazil Program Manager, Jennifer is responsible for leading our cave conservation initiative in Brazil while supporting other projects across Latin America. In this role, Jennifer will work with local communities, NGOs, and Government agencies across Brazil to drive the most effective conservation strategies to protect and enhance critical roost sites for endangered bat species and large colonies throughout the region. Brazil supports one of the richest diversities of bats in the world; of the 181 species of bats currently known to occur in Brazil, 45% are known to roost in caves.
With over ten years of experience studying bats, Jennifer received her master’s from the Universidade Federal de Lavras and her Ph.D. from the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco in Brazil, where she focused on bat cave selection across multiple habitats and developed a prioritization strategy for cave conservation in Brazil. Her research led to a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Konstanz, Germany, to understand the behavioral ecology in cave bat roosting energetic strategies. Jennifer is a former BCI student scholar and, prior to joining BCI, Jennifer has worked extensively across Brazil on cave conservation efforts to minimize the impacts of mining – one of the main threats in the country for bats and caves.
Melquisedec Gamba-Rios, Ph.D. – Regional Director, Latin America & Caribbean
Melquisedec is the ESI Team’s Regional Director for Latin America and & Caribbean Initiatives. In this role, Melqui is responsible for identifying priority areas for the Endangered Species Interventions team to focus, and work with in-country partners to co-develop effective strategies to protect and recover endangered bat species, populations, or habitats.
Melqui has been working with bat ecology and conservation for over 20 years. Originally from Colombia, Melqui conducted most of his research work in Costa Rica. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, where he investigated antipredator behaviors in bats and the implication in bat communication and sociality. He has published work on topics including species distribution, habitat selection, and roost requirements for multiple bat species, with a particular emphasis on the neotropics.
Jon Flanders, Ph.D. – Director, Endangered Species Interventions
Dr. Jon Flanders is responsible for leading conservation initiatives that effectively address BCI’s global conservation priorities. With over 20 years of experience working on conservation projects across the globe, Jon recognizes the importance of partnerships in delivering social, environmental and economic benefits. Working with a range of organizations, from small non-profits to government departments he can strategically prioritize projects that balance conservation needs with sustainability.
Jon received his Ph.D. from the University of Bristol where he integrated investigations of the ecology, diet, and population genetics of the greater horseshoe bat to advance its conservation. Prior to joining BCI, Jon had worked extensively across Asia and Central America leading a variety of conservation-related research projects, as well as teaching workshops and outreach efforts for local researchers and students.
Jon is an Adjunct Professor in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Tulane University and a Research Associate at the American Museum of Natural History.
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Key Collaborators
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Cavernas (CECAV) / PAN Cavernas
- Ciclo Azul
- Environmental Regularization Program
- Rural Environmental Registry
- Sociedade Brasileira para o Estudo dos Quirópteros (SBEQ)
