Taiwan is realizing the blessing of its native bats and the need for conservation
Many people see bats as a symbol of horror. But in fact, bats play an indispensable role in ecosystems worldwide as well as in Taiwan. Just like bees and butterflies, they pollinate flowers and eat pests, and they keep mosquitoes in check. But in recent years, habitat destruction has led to a decline in bat populations, a warning of wider trouble in the ecosystem. The Bat Conservation Society of Taipei runs projects to help the public come into contact with these friendly creatures, and contribute to their conservation. High school students from Taipei have even been building bat houses on Yangmingshan. Let''s see what they''re up to in our Sunday special report.Residents of Shigu Community, in Dongshi, Chiayi County, are observing lesser Asiatic yellow bats in fountain palm trees – at close range.Tsai Shu-liShigu Community Association DirectorLast year we gave their wings markers, so we can see if they’ve come back.Every year in late spring, lesser Asiatic yellow bats come to Shigu community to breed, and stay here until the end of autumn. A key figure in local residents’ growing interest in the bats isHsu Chao-lung, a researcher from the Bat Conservation Society of Taipei.Hsu Chao-lungBat Conservation Society of TaipeiLesser Asiatic yellow bats are found throughout the tropics from Pakistan to Taiwan. And in all of the countries in this zone, pretty much only Taiwan is really paying attention to and taking care of this species.Bats may be maligned in many cultures, but the residents of Shigu believe that dedicating resources to them is very meaningful.Tsai Shu-liShigu Community Association DirectorThey come to Taiwan to have their young every year. So all the bats born here are Taiwanese citizens. I think it’s an honor for us that they fly around the world as Taiwanese citizens.Bats may not seem likeable at first glance, but actually they play many roles in the ecosystem that are beneficial for humans. They help prevent the spread of dengue fever, and pollinate crops such as cashew nuts, durian fruit and blue agave.Tsai Shu-liShigu Community Association DirectorWe used to have dengue fever here, which everyone was afraid of. But I think after our bats ate all the mosquitoes, we don’t have dengue fever here. They have it in Tainan, but not here in Chiayi anymore.Hsu Chao-lungBat Conservation Society of TaipeiBats will cling onto flowers quite strongly. In the old days before they understood bats’ behavior, farmers would be afraid they were attacking the flowers, that it would harm the pollination, or the durian wouldn’t bear fruit. So they tried to kill the bats in various ways. But as soon as they’d got rid of the bats, they realized:‘That’s funny, after the duriansflower, they don’tseem able to bear any fruit…’Thirty-six different species of bat live in Taiwan. Some live here all year long, and some are migratory. And while some roost on the ground, others soar up to 3000-meter-high mountains. But there’s been little research done about Taiwan’s bats. The Bat Conservation Society’s figures reveal that in the last few years, more and more young bats are dying prematurely, an indication, perhaps, of habitat destruction.Hsu Chao-lungBat Conservation Society of TaipeiWe’ve noticed lately that many bats seem to be poisoned by insecticides or pesticides. Often, after a mother bat is poisoned, she can’t care for her babies. Then a baby may fall out of the roost and die.These teachers and students from Taipei Wego Private Senior High School are also concerned about the bats. They’re hanging up home-made bat boxes in the trees ofZhuzihu village on Yangmingshanto give the bats more suitable homes to choose from.Chu Yao-yuTaipei Wego Private Senior High School StudentI come two or three times every semester, and I always take a look at the bat box I made. If there are bats living in it, I feel a sense of achievement.Luo Yu-cheWego Mountain Program TeacherI hope the students will get a feeling for the fact that there are other creatures living with us in our environment. We can even consider it a step further, and ask, can the actions we take help to protect these creatures? Maybe when the students take part in other outdoor activities, they’ll think of conserving the environment, and reducing the impact they have on these creatures’ lives.As darkness falls, the bats of Taipei’s Beitou district come out to hunt for food. In fact it’s not just in the mountainous region of Beitou. Even in the heart of the city, at Taipei 101, traces of their presence can be found. These creatures are here in every city, by our side; but having been ignored for so long, they’re now in trouble.Hsu Chao-lungBat Conservation Society of TaipeiWhether or not they’re a protected species, you just have to think that this creature’s life has meaning. It lives nearby me: I’ll pay attention to it. Whether a city is great or not, depends on whether...
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