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Samal's little angels: A woman's mission to save Philippine bats
GMA News Online – Fri, Jun 21, 2013





The Island-City of Samal in the southern Philippines has about seventy caves, which used to be teeming with bats.

But now, most of these caves are empty and silent.

In some parts of the island, bats are hunted for food by people—particularly for "pulutan."

They are also sometimes killed out of superstitious fear.

Their natural homes are disturbed because of guano mining and swiftlet nest collection.

Bats are also threatened by natural predators like snakes, and calamities like earthquakes and forest fires.

But thanks to the efforts of nature conservationist Norma Monfort, there's a haven for Samals' bats: a 280-meter-long cave tucked away from public incursion.

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There are more than 1,100 bat species in the world, but the Philippines is home to 26 indigenous bat species—more than any other country.

But sadly, most of these bats are threatened.

“The threat to bats in the Philippines is quite serious considering that very little literatures and researches have been published about them,” says Monfort.

“In addition, bats are still misunderstood until now.

In fact, only very few Filipinos are aware about the importance of bats to the environment and to our economy.

Because of this, it is much easier for people to hunt bats down because they feel bats are dispensable.”

The bats that inhabit Monfort’s place are called Geoffroy’s rousette fruit bats, known scientifically as Rousettus amplexicaudatus.

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But due to agrarian reform laws, which limit individual ownership of agricultural land, she faces losing the bats' nesting grounds.

And so she raised her own funds to bring scientists from Bat Conservation International (BCI) over to her cave to advise her on the best way to ensure the continued protection of her beloved bats.

Together with BCI and six other government and non-governmental organizations, Monfort signed an agreement protecting the cave as the Monfort Bat Conservation Park in 2006.

Within six months, Monfort also created Philippines Bat Conservation, an environmental group that reaches beyond her colony to promote conservation of all Philippine bat species.

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Furthering conservation

In 2011, Monfort was honored as one of the “Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund Conservation Heroes.”

The award is bestowed to “extraordinary individuals who are passionate about protecting animals and habitats in areas of critical concern.”

Winning the award, Momfort said, means helping further the cause of bat conservation in the country and elsewhere.

In a letter to friends, she wrote: “That I have been given this recognition is simply signaling more work lies ahead for me using this ‘tool’ and putting it into good use… There is so much to be accomplished that I plan to leave behind for the children of the world.” — TJD, GMA News

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i'm glad.  i wish eco-warriors well.  i hope their tribe increases.  yes, bats are great creatures.  i once tried feeding one and it ate the mansanitas straight from my hand.  they must be good creatures, or batman wouldn't be a superhero.

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salamat, vots, nga di na ka cruel karon.  bisan tuod ug di ka si batman, at least masaypan ka na nga si robin.

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Super-cute pood...







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on the other hand, di pod ta ka blame sa mga namolotan ug kabog. way kwarta palit somsoman

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Bitaw, magtikongkong man gud ni sila kon matulog...

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