JAMAICA
Jamaica
Critically Endangered Bats Rely on Two Fragile Caves
The goal of this work is to save two species of critically endangered bats, the Jamaican flower bat and the Jamaican greater funnel-eared bat, from extinction. Only two caves remain that support the last known populations of these bats — Stony Hill Cave and St. Clair Cave. Working with local partners, we’re establishing long-term solutions to protect the bats and improve roosting conditions for them, while also working with the local community to ensure they also benefit from conservation efforts.
St. Clair Cave & Polly Ground Community More than 2 million bats from at least 10 species live in St. Clair Cave, including the Critically Endangered Jamaican greater funnel-eared bat. Feral cats prey on these bats nightly, leaving the area littered with bat carcasses. We are working with the nearby Polly Ground community to protect these bats by installing a humane predator-proof fence to keep feral cats out so the bats don’t have to run a gauntlet to feed each night.
Stony Hill Cave Stony Hill Cave is the last known maternity roost for the Critically Endangered Jamaican flower bat. The species was thought extinct for 20 years before being rediscovered in this single location, where maintaining the hot temperature and high humidity is crucial for ensuring the young are born and able to survive to adulthood. Development is rampant in this area, but Mr. Moore, property owner and community partner, chose to sell the cave and surrounding land to protect it from development. By working in partnership with the Jamaican government, who now owns and manages the land, it will be protected for this bat long into the future.
Jamaica
Jamaican Flower Bat
For 20 years, the Jamaican flower bat was believed to be extinct before being rediscovered in Jamaica’s Stony Hill Cave.
The Need
Jamaica is the most bio-endemic island in the Caribbean and an important contributor to biodiversity of the Caribbean Basin. However, population growth, coupled with agricultural, industrial, and commercial expansion has resulted in intense competition for land, leading to the loss or fragmentation of many natural habitats and a reduction and loss of biodiversity. Primarily due to the threat of extinction facing the critically endangered Jamaican funnel-eared bat (Natalus jamaicensis) and Jamaican flower bat (Phyllonycteris aphylla), Jamaica is included on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s list of countries with the highest number of at-risk mammals.
Our Approach
Only two caves remain that support the last known populations of Jamaican funnel-eared bats (St. Clair cave) and Jamaican flower bats (Stony Hill cave). As such, it is critical that these sites are protected and the surrounding area is enhanced to support these critically endangered bats before it is too late. Working with the National Environmental and Planning Agency, the Polly Ground Community, and Jamaica Caves Organisation, we are establishing long-term solutions to protect the bats and improve roosting conditions for them, while also working with the local community to ensure conservation efforts benefit them as well.
Our Impact
Since this project began in 2018, we have saved Stony Hill cave from development and worked with the Polly Ground Community to prevent the loss of St. Clair cave to mineral extraction and ecotourism activities. We have also installed a predator-proof fence at St. Clair to prevent the ongoing threat of feral cats. BCI will also be installing a predator-proof fence at Stony Hill cave, training a newly appointed, Jamaica-based, Bat Officer, and supporting research and monitoring activities to determine the success of conservation actions on the bats’ long-term health.
About the Bats
The Jamaica Team
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.
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.
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.
