Cave protection.
Protecting roosts of at-risk cave-dwelling bats and the communities that depend on these ecosystems
WHY CAVES MATTER
A single cave disturbance can collapse an entire colony
Across West Africa, caves and cave-like roosts are home to some of the continent's most ecologically important and threatened bat species. A single disturbance event at a roost can collapse an entire colony. Hunting and habitat destruction around cave entrances are pushing species to the brink of extinction.
© SMACON
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Egyptian Fruit Bat
Rousettus aegyptiacus
This cave-roosting fruit bat is highly dependent on stable roosting environments. Disturbing a single colony can cascade through the local population. It is among the most commonly hunted bat species in the region.
Photo: © SMACON
Straw-coloured Fruit Bat
Eidolon helvum
This tree-roosting fruit bat is highly migratory, traveling vast distances across the continent. Often found in large communal colonies in tall trees, it is a key seed disperser but faces significant threats from intensive hunting and the loss of its roosting sites.
Photo: © Iroro Tanshi/SMACON
ALTERNATIVE PROTEIN SOURCES
Reducing bat hunting pressure through alternative livelihoods
Our evidence-based approach to reduce hunting pressure on the Egyptian fruit bat and prevent potential zoonotic disease spread.
