Save the Wrinkle-lipped Bat!

By Dave Waldien, Ph.D., Interim Executive Director, Bat Conservation International


The wrinkle-lipped free-tailed bat of Southeast Asia is very similar to the Mexican free-tailed bat of North and South America. Both are migratory species that form huge colonies – often numbering millions of bats – and consume enormous amounts of insects.

In the United States, scientists have shown that Mexican free-tailed bats save American farmers many millions of dollars every year by removing insect pests. No such research exists for wrinkle-lipped bats. And while major free-tail roosts are largely protected in North America, that’s not often the case in Southeast Asia, and no conservation measures are in place for wrinkle-lipped bats.

The damage has been tragic! A colony of about 300,000 bats was destroyed in Myanmar as a result of mining. Hundreds of thousands of bats were eradicated as pests in Cambodia. In the Philippines, where wrinkle-lipped bats once were among the most abundant cave-roosting species, virtually all large colonies are now gone. The species is also battered by unregulated hunting for food. BCI joins the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in calling for urgent action to protect key roosts and for public-awareness campaigns throughout the region.

Small grants ($3,000 to $5,000) provided to local partners in Southeast Asia can make a real difference. A trusted partner recently warned that the species’ largest colony in Vietnam – more than a million bats – is being threatened by hunting. We responded immediately and are working with local conservationists on awareness campaigns designed to stop the hunting.

But we need your help to ensure the long-term survival of this Vietnamese colony and of the species itself by securing all significant colonies throughout Southeast Asia. Success will require an integrated, multinational partnership to identify and protect roost sites and document the economic value of these battered bats.

Our goal is to raise at least $15,000 from bat advocates like you so BCI can help local conservationists take immediate action. American farmers are already enjoying the benefits of BCI’s conservation of Mexican free-tailed bats.

Help us ensure that farmers throughout Southeast Asia can reap the same benefits!

Please donate today to help BCI meet this critical challenge and other urgent threats to the world’s bats!