IUCN SSC Bat Specialist Group 2019 Report Tigga Kingston Rodrigo Medellín Co-Chairs Mission statement Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Tigga Kingston (1) (Old World) (1) To contribute to the mission and goals of Species of Wild Animals (CMS) listing of four Rodrigo Medellín (2) (New World) IUCN/SSC. species of Lasiurus, the implementation of the associated requirements is a priority for the (2) To ensure the maintenance or recovery of quadrennium; additional species are likely to Red List Authority Coordinators populations of threatened bat populations. be listed. A survey to monitor the presence Dave Waldien (3) (Old World) (3) To ensure that other bat species remain at a of Pseudogymnoascus destructans will have, Sergio Solari (4) (New World) favourable conservation status. by the end of 2020, expanded to Mexico and research for treatment and recovery of bats Location/Affiliation Projected impact for the 2017-2020 affected by White Nose Syndrome will continue. (1) Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, US quadrennium (2) Instituto de Ecología, UNAM, By the end of 2020, we envision that having Targets for the 2017-2020 quadrennium Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico effective Red List assessments in place, (3) Christopher Newport University, Assess informed by current taxonomy, will underpin Newport News, Virginia, US Red List: (1) complete assessment of Old and effective conservation planning for bat (4) Instituto de Biología, Universidad New World bats; (2) establish a global bat species globally. The Bat Specialist Group de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia taxonomy database and review process. (BSG) anticipates a sustainable resolution to the human-bat conflict in Mauritius, and an Research activities: compile all Important Areas Number of members end to Government culls of Pteropus niger for Bat Conservation (AICOMs) and Important 94 (Greater Mascarene Flying Fox, also known Sites for Bat Conservation (SICOMs) in one GIS as the Mauritius Fruit Bat). A conservation platform. Social networks networking initiative in Oceania is intended to Plan Facebook: IUCN Bat Specialist Group promote regional capacity and conservation Capacity building: capacity building for disease Website: https://www.iucnbsg.org/ of threatened island bat species. The North management, surveys, important areas and American Bat Conservation Alliance will sites for bat conservation, etc. be solidly in place and recognised by the Research activities: secure standardised proto- three federal governments of Canada, the cols to monitor Pseudogymnoascus destructans US and Mexico, as the entity to promote bat (Pd) in North America. conservation on the continent. RELCOM, Network the Latin American Alliance, will have Synergy: (1) resolve human-bat conflict and the network of Important Areas for Bat secure stable populations of Pteropus niger; Conservation (AICOMs) and Important Sites (2) strengthen interaction with wind energy for Bat Conservation (SICOMs) articulated companies for bat conservation; (3) develop and integrated into a GIS platform upon a network of bat conservation researchers which each country will enable investment in Oceania; (4) create a network of networks in bat conservation priorities. Following the around the world for bat conservation. Communicate Communication: (1) improve BSG communica- tion with all its members; (2) produce a position statement on emergent diseases and bats. Near Threatened Lesser Long-nosed Bat, Leptonycteris yerbabuenae, visiting a saguaro cactus flower in Sonora, Mexico Photo: Jens Rydell Activities and results 2019 a database, now available at RELCOM’s offi- Mexico, all samples from Mexican caves have cial website. This database is open for public come back negative for Pd and there are no Assess consultation and will be of key importance for cases of mortality or the disease per se. All Red List conservation and management of important samples are processed at the US Geological i. The assessments of Old and New World bats areas and sites for bat conservation across the Survey (USGS) National Wildlife Health Center by were completed by local and regional experts, Americas and the Caribbean. (KSR #43) Dr Anne Ballman. (KSR #12) with the majority coming from Asia. We are in Plan Network the process of updating the maps. (KSR #1, 2) Capacity building Synergy ii. The database ‘Bats of the World: A Taxo- nomic and Geographic Database’ (https:// i. The new disease research network WABNet i. Extensive discussions on strategy took place www.batnames.org) was established and made (Western Asia Bat Research Network) includes between Co-Chair Kingston and the Chair of publicly available in 2018. Work continued several IUCN members. The second annual the Human-Wildlife Conflict Task Force, Alex in 2019 to update species accounts within it workshop was held in Amman, Jordan, in Zimmerman, at the Chairs’ Meeting. (KSR #29) and develop a review process. The Global Bat December 2019, and included extensive ii. The Third Workshop in the mitigation series, Taxonomy Working Group was established capacity building. (KSR #18) which focused on working with the media, was including expert taxonomists from around the ii. IUCN members are also part of the Bat One held in Mauritius in November 2019, led by Dr world, and in 2019 a process for reviewing Health Research Network (BOHRN) and partici- Ewan McDonald from Said Business School, changes was developed. In 2020, a Slack work- pated in a workshop in Thailand in August 2019. Oxford University, in collaboration with the space will be created for this purpose. (KSR #4) (KSR #18) Mauritian Wildlife Foundation and Mauritian Research activities Research activities Government. Despite this, there was another (4th) cull in December 2019. The target number i. The regional project of AICOMs and SICOMs i. The protocol for Canada and the US to of individuals was 10,000. There was also a continues progressing after two years of inten- monitor Pd in North America has been final- census by the National Parks and Conserva- sive work conducted by the Bat Conservation ised in the context of the White Nose Syndrome tion Service who estimated that the current Programmes that form part of the RELCOM Response Team (WNS Team). The WNS Team population is over 106,000 individuals. There network, sponsored by CYTED (Programa in Mexico, led by R. Medellin, is implementing are concerns that this figure is an overestimate. Iberoamericano de Ciencia y Tecnología para parts of the protocol and the information on (KSR #29) el Desarrollo). Overall, over 160 AICOMs and hibernating bats in Mexico has grown exponen- SICOMs have been created and compiled in tially over the past three years. A review of bat hibernation in Mexico is ready to be submitted for publication. After three years of surveys in Vulnerable Banana Bat, Musonycteris harrisoni, Mexico Photo: Rodrigo Medellín Endemic Malagasy Trident Bat, Thomas’s Fruit-eating Bat, Triaenops menamena, Madagascar Artibeus watsoni, carrying a fig in Costa Rica Photo: Rodrigo Medellín Photo: Angelica Menchaca Daniela Cafaggi, Institute of Ecology, UNAM, sampling a hibernating bat in a cave in central Mexico in January 2020 Photo: Alejandro Ganesh iii. Medellin was invited to be a member of Communicate Summary of activities 2019 the Energy Task Force of the Convention for Communication Components of Species Conservation Cycle: 4/5 Migratory Species (CMS). After his efforts, i. Our newsletter was disseminated Assess 3 ||| four species of Lasiurus were listed in the (see https://www.iucnbsg.org/ Plan 3 ||| CMS Appendices via a proposal compiled by uploads/6/5/0/9/6509077/iucn_bsg_ Network 7 ||||||| Medellin and E. Baerwald that the government newsletter_2019.pdf). One-way interactions of Peru submitted. This proposal was adopted took place through distribution of National Communicate 2 || by consensus. Meetings were held with Geographic Society funding opportunities and Main KSRs addressed: 1, 2, 4, 12, 18, 28, 29, 43 Mexican wind energy companies, but in 2019 similar, but bi-directional communication was Resolutions addressed: WCC-2016-Res-019 the Mexican government all but deactivated all not achieved globally. (KSR #28) KSR: Key Species Result sustainable energy initiatives. (KSR #29) ii. Given the complexity and rapidly changing iv. Waldien coordinated with the Austral- nature of emergent diseases, e.g. SARS, we asian Bat Society (ABS) leadership to develop a are thinking through the best strategy and broader vision for the ABS to better meet their whether a ‘blanket’ statement is appropriate. commitment to fully represent bat conserva- Many members of the BSG, including the two tion research throughout Oceania. A special Co-Chairs, are fully engaged and constantly section and specific presentation on the needs active in this context, lecturing and giving inter- and opportunities was proposed for their 2020 views to a plethora of media around the world. conference; the presentation was moved to (KSR #28) their general assembly meeting as it provided a better forum for the meaningful discussions Acknowledgements that are needed for lasting change. (KSR #29) v. The Red List assessments have also been Funding for the Mauritius Fruit Bat Research used to catalyse and engage people from Strategy Workshop was generously received across Oceania. ABS leadership assigned from Chester Zoo, Mauritian Wildlife Founda- regional representation to their conservation tion, and Government of Mauritius. WABNet is officer (Dr Michael Pennay). (KSR #29) supported by a grant to EcoHealth