BACOLOD City – Aside from bees, land and water animals, flying foxes too, play an important role in seed dispersal and pollination. As such, they keep native forests healthy.
What makes flying foxes – also called fruit bats – unique in this regard is that they are highly mobile and move seeds locally and over great distances.
A conservation forum on flying foxes was conducted from July 1 to 6 at Mambukal Resort and Wildlife Sanctuary in Negros Occidental. The sanctuary is situated in Murcia town where flying foxes also inhabit.
Flying foxes eat fruit and other plant matter, and occasionally consume insects as well. They locate resources with their keen sense of smell. Most, but not all, are nocturnal. They navigate with keen eyesight, as they cannot echolocate.
Flying foxes are ecologically beneficial by assisting in the regeneration of forests via seed dispersal. They benefit ecosystems and human interests by pollinating plants.
Organized by the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) together with the Mabuwaya Foundation Inc. and the Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Foundation Inc. (PhilBio), the forum also discussed practices that support flying fox conservation and regulate hunting of the species and establish standard monitoring protocols for flying fox roost site counts.
In Negros Occidental, flying foxes have sites in Hinoba-an, Murcia, San Carlos and Sagay Marine Reserve. In Mambukal, at least three species have been identified, namely: Golden-crowned flying fox, large flying fox and the common island flying fox.
Negros Occidental’s Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and DENR assistant regional director for technical services Raul Lorilla gave their messages during the opening program of the national workshop on flying foxes. (DENR/PN)
