One of world’s largest bats found in Apayao forest

FLORA, Apayao, Philippines — The golden-crowned flying fox, one of the world’s largest bat species, has been documented in the forests here, adding a new record to the province’s growing biodiversity database.

Endemic to the country, the golden-crowned flying fox (Acerodon jubatus) was recorded during the second-semester threatened species monitoring conducted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Apayao provincial government, Flora town government, communities and conservation partners.

The fruit-eating bat is classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and plays an important role in forest regeneration by dispersing seeds.

The survey also confirmed the continued presence of the large flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus).

Both species were observed using separate roosting trees.

“Continued fieldwork not only helps us monitor our threatened species but also allows us to discover and document wildlife that may have previously gone unrecorded,” Dorothy Joy Cayaba, DENR Community Environment and Natural Resources Office-Calanasan officer-in-charge, said.

Cayaba said new record will be added to Apayao’s biodiversity database to guide habitat protection, wildlife management, research and other conservation efforts.

Apayao, a UNESCO-designated Biosphere Reserve, has extensive forest habitats that support a range of threatened wildlife.

The DENR has proposed that the local government consider declaring the area a Critical Habitat, which would provide added protection for threatened wildlife and their habitats.