Review Bats as bushmeat: a global review S imon M ickleburgh,Kerry W aylen and P aul R acey Abstract A questionnaire survey and literature review on bats. There is some evidence that hunting and trade is revealed the extent of hunting of bats for bushmeat in having a significant impact on bat populations in the Pacific the Old World tropics. High levels of offtake were reported islands and South-East Asia (Mickleburgh et al., 2002) and throughout Asia, the Pacific islands and some Western also in Madagascar (Jenkins & Racey, 2008) but there is no Indian Ocean islands, where fruit bats of the genus overall view of its potential global impact on bats. Further- Pteropus are eaten extensively. Most hunting in Africa was more, recent reviews of emergent viral diseases in bats have reported in western states and the largest fruit bat Eidolon raised concerns that eating bats as bushmeat may transmit helvum was preferred. Insectivorous bats are also eaten, such diseases (Messenger et al., 2003). particularly Tadarida in Asia. Hunting is both for local The low reproductive rate of bats makes them especially consumption and commercial, sometimes involving cross- vulnerable to harvesting for bushmeat. In several life-history border transactions. The high levels of hunting reported characteristics bats are similar to primates that are severely and the low reproductive rate of bats indicate there are impacted by the bushmeat trade (Bowen-Jones & Pendry, likely to be severe negative effects on bat populations, and 1999). Bats are long-lived and often roost communally, declines of several species are documented. Although there which increases their visibility and susceptibility to hunters. has been only one reported attempt to manage offtake, this Their vulnerability may be further increased by roost indicates that it is possible and apparently successful. Fur- location and fidelity. Roosts, such as caves and trees, are thermore, voluntary controls on hunting have halted de- vulnerable to disturbance and bats return seasonally to roost clines in bat numbers. There have been several initiatives sites, making them predictable targets. Many bat species to reduce hunting pressure and conserve threatened bat also face other threats, such as habitat loss, throughout their species, mainly on islands that, when sustained, have been range, and these threats may interact with hunting to successful. More education projects and community-based increase their vulnerability further. The global status of conservation initiatives should be encouraged together bats is reviewed by Mickleburgh et al. (1992; for Old World with further attempts at sustainable harvesting in situa- fruit bats) and Hutson et al. (2001; for all other bats). tions where disease risk has been evaluated. Over 20% of all mammal species are bats (Simmons, 2005). On some islands bats may be the only native mam- Keywords Bats, bushmeat, commercial hunting, Eidolon, mals and may be keystone species in ecosystems (Cox et al., Pteropus, sustainability, Tadarida. 1992) as pollinators and seed dispersers of plants, many of which are economically important (Fujita & Tuttle, 1991). This paper contains supplementary material that can be The hunting of bats for bushmeat could therefore be found online at http://journals.cambridge.org a significant threat to their populations, and it is of crucial conservation and economic importance to discover the Introduction extent of hunting. We present here the results of a global survey of the use of bats as bushmeat, discuss the potential here is growing concern about the potential impact conservation problems this causes, and make recommen- Tof the bushmeat trade on a range of animal species dations on how these problems could be tackled. (Robinson & Bennett, 2000). Attention has often focused on primates and other large mammals (Bowen-Jones & Methods Pendry, 1999) and to date there has been little information This study was initiated over April–September 2004 using y SIMON MICKLEBURGH* and KERRY WAYLEN Fauna & Flora International, two principal methods. The first approach was a literature Cambridge, UK. review. This included literature accumulated by a Fauna & PAUL RACEY (Corresponding author) School of Biological Sciences, Univer- Flora International review of the bushmeat trade (Bowen- sity of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK. E-mail [email protected] Jones et al., 2002) together with online publications and *Current address: The Rufford Maurice Laing Foundation, London, UK. media reports. Most material reviewed was in English; some y Current addresses: Centre for Environmental Policy and Division of Biology, was in Spanish and French. The second approach involved Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, UK, and Macaulay 1 Institute, Aberdeen, UK. a questionnaire (Appendix ) widely distributed by e-mail Received 5 June 2008. Revision requested 12 August 2008. and advertised in the journal Phelsuma and in African Bat Accepted 12 December 2008. Conservation News. The questionnaire requested information ª 2009 Fauna & Flora International, Oryx, 43(2), 217–234 doi:10.1017/S0030605308000938 Printed in the United Kingdom Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.33.14, on 28 Sep 2021 at 12:24:16, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605308000938 218 S. Mickleburgh et al. about traditional and current use of bats as bushmeat, the Indonesia Bergmans & Rozendaal (1988) noted . 100 impact on bat populations, the techniques used to hunt bats Pteropus alecto for sale by one trader in a market in and the relative importance of bats in local bushmeat trade. Sulawesi in 1982 and several other species were also Where relevant, the basis of the information provided was regularly traded. Clayton & Milner-Gulland (2000) made also queried: for example, the suggestion that hunting detailed observations of the meats, including bat meat, in adversely affected bat populations was only occasionally markets in north Sulawesi; in the early 1990s a single fruit supported by research. Where necessary, data from ques- bat was worth USD 0.23–1.14, and 25–50 bats per week were tionnaires were clarified and supplemented by further typically sold; this reached 300 in 1997. In each of two enquiries. Anecdotes and other information from respond- markets in Ujung Pandang, Sulawesi, 100–200 flying foxes ents were also noted. were traded daily and c. 8% of bats from Ujang Pandang were exported to supermarkets in Manado City (Heinrichs, 2004 Results ). In Jakarta Pteropus vampyrus were offered by at least two market vendors for USD 10 each, who each sold c. five 1991 Literature review per week (Fujita & Tuttle, ). Bats were also readily available at Manadonese restaurants (Fujita, 1988). How- The literature review revealed 119 references with some ever, on Karakelang, most bats were eaten by the trappers information indicating bat consumption, including 87 and hunting was not commercially driven (Riley, 1998). journal papers, seven media reports, three web articles, Whole roosts could be devastated by harvesting for markets four university theses or other manuscripts, nine govern- in north Sulawesi (Clayton & Milner-Gulland, 2000) and ment reports and 20 NGO reports. Given the volume of five species, including one endemic, were threatened by literature on bushmeat, bat consumption is not a prominent hunting on the islands of Sangihe and Talaud, with topic. Thirty-one apparently comprehensive studies of Acerodon celebensis possibly warranting threatened status bushmeat hunting or trade did not mention bats. Whilst (Riley, 2002). Fruit bats were heavily hunted on Karakelang additional reports may exist, especially in languages other Island (Riley, 1998). Market surveys and colony observa- than English, the references reviewed are likely to give tions indicated that c. 30,000 bats were killed per year in a representative indication of the level of use of bats as southern Sulawesi, and overharvesting seriously threatens bushmeat. Information provided by respondents about the flying fox populations (Heinrichs, 2004). Populations of use of bats in traditional medicine will appear elsewhere. A. celebensis and Pteropus griseus mimus may have been The terms fruit bat and flying fox are used interchangeably decimated and P. alecto populations reduced by 25% for members of the Pteropodidae. (Heinrichs, 2004). In some regions smaller bat species were hunted because flying foxes were no longer present 2004 Questionnaire (Heinrichs, ). The impact of hunting in Indonesia may be exacerbated because hunters leave obstructions in place A total of 109 individuals responded to the request for that are used to catch cave bats, which then preclude re- information, with 90 completing questionnaires (Appendix 2). establishment of some colonies. In Kalimantan c. 4,500 The respondents provided 138 reports on bat consumption Pteropus vampyrus natunae were taken from one location (Table 1) and the geographical distribution of these is given over a month, resulting in severe population decline in Table 2. The methods used to hunt bats are listed in Table 3. (Streubig et al., 2007). The bats were sold in markets for The information below only covers areas where significant USD 0.63–2.20 each. There has been some response to bat consumption has been reported (Table 2). Other areas, problems in this region. Bat Conservation International such as Eurasia, North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and Fauna & Flora