In May of this year the Livingstone's fruit bat (Pteropus livingstonii) was officially downlisted from Critically Endangered to "Endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
This analysis was based on population data collected by Dahari since 2013 in collaboration with the University of the Comoros and the National Parks, supported by Bat Conservation International.

“The Livingstone fruit bat is a flagship species for the Comoros and a focus of Dahari’s conservation efforts. We should be clear that this change in status is not a result of our conservation work, though this remains important in preventing declines. Instead, the discovery of new roost sites coupled to regular biannual monitoring with our partners has provided a clearer understanding of the size and stability of the population,” says Misbahou Mohamed, Dahari Co-Director.

The bats remain at risk due to ongoing deforestation

The species remains at risk: out of the 62 Pteropus species listed on the IUCN Red List, the Livingstone's fruit bat is among the most threatened with extinction due to the rapid loss of their forest habitat. Reliable deforestation statistics are hard to source in the Comoros, but the best analysis show an 80% loss of natural forests on the island of Anjouan between 1995 and 2014. As a result, all but ten of previously fifty permanent rivers on the island now flow only intermittently or not at all.

Previously this high level of deforestation was assumed to be impacting directly on the Livingstone’s fruit bat population number. However, regular population surveys conducted twice yearly by Dahari, first on Anjouan in collaboration with teams from the University of the Comoros and the Ntringui National Park, then expanding to Mohéli in collaboration with Mohéli National Park, show that the bat population has been stable since 2012.

Ongoing research is revealing key conservation needs

In addition, research since 2019 using GPS trackers to better understand how the bats use the landscape and remaining forest has led to the discovery of new roost sites and key feeding areas. This work contributed to higher and more accurate population numbers for Anjouan.

Understanding the landscape use and population numbers for this highly threatened bat closed some long-persisting knowledge gaps and allowed for a re-assessment of the species on the IUCN Red List – leading to the downlisting to Endangered. However, the long-term success for this species will require ongoing conservation management and continued close partnership between all stakeholders, nationally and internationally.

Conservation agreements can secure the future of the species

On conservation agreements provide hope that the cycle of deforestation on Anjouan can be broken. Seven of the 26 known roost sites (20 on Anjouan, six on Mohéli) are currently protected by conservation agreements. Dahari provides benefits to farmers in the form of agricultural support and cash payments. In return, farmers protect trees and regenerate forest in their fields in key areas for the bats, for wider biodiversity, and for water provisioning.

Batoidine Ousseni, owner of a bat roost site near the village of Adda, explains the benefits of the agreements:

“The support of Dahari helps me a lot with agricultural activities. Each year I receive seeds and technical trainings. My farming activities don’t disturb the bats, because i cultivate away form the roost. I addition i don't cut any trees in my field and i don't use fire. Co-habiting with the Livingstones also brings advantages because there are trees that grow naturally without planting them."

Dahari is currently evaluating the first pilot agreements signed around roost sites and in highland forest areas. Eventually Dahari aims to scale this approach throughout the forests of Anjouan in collaboration with the National Parks, integrating key roosting and feeding sites for the Livingstones to ensure the future survival of this still Endangered species.

Our work on the Livingstones is funded by Cartier for Nature, Bat Conservation International, and Northumberland Zoo.