The Pteropus niger species is a large bat that is endemic to Mauritius island.

It’s population in 2016

counts for 62,500 (±7%) and was asses conservatively as Endangered (IUCN, 2018).

Disproportionately large ecological role of a recently mass-culled flying fox in native forests of an
oceanic island;

F. B. V. Florens1,2*, C. Baider3*, V. Marday1, G.M.N. Martin1, Z. Zmanay1, R. Oleksy4, G. Krivek5, C. E. 3

Vincenot6, D. Strasberg2 and T. Kingston7

 This conflict is exemplified on Mauritius where the government has implemented two mass culls
of a threatened flying fox (Pteropus niger) since 2015 in response to fruit-grower concerns. The
culls and illegal hunting reduced the bat population by > 50 %.
 The flying fox plays a disproportionally large ecological role in maintaining forest structure and
biodiversity in the long-term. Consequently, lethal approaches to the conflict with fruit-farmers
threaten not only an endangered species, but ecological processes central to the viability of
native forests.
 New problems arise when species targeted for culls play critical ecological (e.g. Vincenot,
Florens & Kingston, 2017) and even economic
 the ecological roles of flying foxes may be enhanced relative to other pollinators and seed
disseminators because of their high mobility (Oleksy, Racey, & Jones, 2015; Roberts et al.,
2012).
 fruit-eating bats are increasingly incorporating non-native fruit crops into their diet, bringing
them into conflict with fruit farmers (Aziz et al. 2016). Lethal solutions to this conflict are on the
rise (Vincenot, Florens & Kingston 2017),
 established (Fujita & Tuttle, 1991; Nyhagen, Turnbull, Olesen, & Jones, 2005; Shanahan et al.,
2001; Aziz et al 2017
 We investigated this aspect on an island where government culls recently reduced the
population of the sole surviving flying fox species, Pteropus niger, by over 50% (Vincenot,
Florens & Kingston, 2017).
 Overall, extinction rates are high (e.g. 9 % in flowering plants, 57 % in land birds) and
endangerment rates higher (Baider et al., 2010; Cheke & Hume, 2008; Florens, 2013a; Griffiths &
Florens, 2006).
 The largest surviving native frugivore is the Mauritius flying fox (Pteropus niger). With a body
mass of 380-540 g, P. niger is > 40 x larger than the largest frugivorous bird not threatened with
extinction – the 9-g Mauritius grey white-eye (Zosterops mauritianus) (Hansen & Galetti 200
 The Mauritius flying fox is the last survivor of three Mascarene endemic Pteropus species that
lived on Mauritius
 P. niger effects seed dissemination and pollinates several native species (Nyhagen et al., 2005).
 P. niger is now the largest native frugivore and potential seed disseminator on the island and of
the Mascarenes (Cheke & Hume, 2008; Hansen & Galetti, 2009).
 We confirmed that fruits of 43 native species (from 28 genera and 22 families) are eaten by P.
niger
  Flying foxes disseminate seeds from the fruits that they feed on through faeces, ejecta, or by
dropping them at a distance from the mother tree (Bollen & Elsacker, 2002; Corlett, 1998;
McConkey & Drake, 2015; Nyhagen et al., 2005; Olesky et al. 2017) potentially up to 300 km
away when seeds are small enough to be ingested (Shilton, Altringham, Compton & Whittaker,
1999).
 , leaving P. niger as Mauritius` largest surviving native seed disseminator (Hansen & Galetti,
2009).
 This fits findings from elsewhere that show that Pteropus prefer to forage on larger trees
(Banack, 1998). We also found that about 30 % of native forest biomass of all woody plants (or
about 40 % for the larger trees) now depends exclusively on P. niger for seed dissemination
 Pteropus niger has been classified as threatened with extinction by the IUCN (Hutson & Racey,
2013)
 In combination with elevated levels of illegal hunting and persecution, it is estimated that the
two culls have reduced the population from c. 90,000 (pre-cull 2015) to less than 50,000 (post-
cull 2016) (Kingston et al. 2017)
 Seed dispersal functions can be lost from ecosystems when disperser populations are disturbed
or reduced (McConkey & O‟Farrill, 2016),
 Pteropus niger is already imperilled by diverse and interacting threats on Mauritius (Florens
2012, 2015)
 Moreover, island Pteropus are highly vulnerable to stochastic events such as cyclones (Cheke &
Hume, 2008)
 the culling campaigns are still seen as insufficient by some stakeholders (Anon., 2016, 2017)
 Pteropus niger disseminates the seeds of native plants that constitute the bulk (about 63 %) of
basal area (a surrogate of woody plant biomass), of remnant forests on the oceanic island of
Mauritius
 Pteropus species are, like P. niger, also threatened with extinction because they are subjected
to substantial threats and persecution (Vincenot, Florens & Kingston, 2017).

A study of the bat-fruit syndrome on Mauritius, Indian Ocean ;

DORTE FRIIS NYHAGEN

 This study has found some evidence of an adherence to the bat-fruit syndrome. Twenty-one
percent of the food plants had five of seven characteristics in accordance with the syndrome,
 Pteropus niger may play an very important role in regeneration of the Mauritian forest as it
disperses seeds and carries pollen of many plant species (NYHAGEN et al. 2004).
 The most common fruit characteristics were as follows; easily accessible fruit (95%)
 Only two the seven categories (flavour and accessibility) had more species with characteristics in
accordance with the bat-fruit syndrome
 The bat-fruit syndrome is based around seven plant characteristics which on their own seem
quite vague, e.g. juicy or easily accessible fruits are common traits amongst fruits in general.
Coexistence and Conflict between the Island Flying fox (Pteropus hypomelanus) and Humans on
Tioman Island, Peninsular Malaysia

Sheema Abdul Aziz1,2,3,4 & Gopalasamy Reuben Clements1,5 & Xingli Giam6,7 & Pierre-Michel Forget2
& Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz3

 These bats play a crucial role in pollination and seed dispersal through their phytophagous diet,
whichinturnbenefitshumanwellbeing(FujitaandTuttle1991; Kunzetal.2011)
 However, whilst fruit raiding is a common complaint amongst commercial fruit farmers
regardless of country (Mahmood-ul-Hassan et al. 2011; Azizet al. 2016),
 In addition to problems caused by flying foxes, low awareness of ecosystem services may partly
explain why the majority of respondents (79%) in our study did not like flying foxes,
 Among our respondents, older male locals tend to feel more negatively towards flying foxes,
and this likely increases with the person’s length of residence. Koziarski et al. (2016
 Also,inAustraliaithasbeenfound that people who live in closer proximity to flying fox roosts
(<100 m) are more likely to have negative feelings about coexisting (Larsen et al. 2002).
 In this study, older fruit tree owners who sell their fruit, and also experience raiding by flying
foxes, are more likely to support the killing of flying foxes (Table 1B), indicating a slight
economic dimension to the problem. Similar responses have been observed in Japan (Vincenot
et al. 2015a), Mauritius (Florens 2015

Low redundancy in seed dispersal within an island frugivore community

Kim R. McConkey1,3* and Donald R. Drake

 Islands are characterized by inherently low species diversity compared with continents
(MacArthur 1965; Whittaker and Ferna ´ndezPalacios2007),
 If only seeds dispersed away from conspecific canopies are considered, flying foxes still
dispersedseedssignificantlyfurtherthanallotherdispersers, followed by pigeons (Fig. 4C).
 because they fulfil a non-redundant role in seed dispersal, especially for large-seeded plants.
AlthoughbothflyingfoxesandPacificpigeons(McConkey etal.2004a

Kingston, T., Florens, V., Oleksy, R., Ruhomaun, K. & Tatayah, V. 2018. Pteropus niger. The IUCN Red List
of Threatened Species 2018: e.T18743A86475525. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-
1.RLTS.T18743A86475525.en

 The 2016 population was estimated at 62,500 (+/- 7 % due to observer error) which gives an
upper bound of 66,875, lower 58,125.
 A second cull was implemented in December 2016, killing a further 7380 individuals (Anon.
2017).
  Because of the uncertainty of the level of illegal offtake current and projected, we assess the
species conservatively as Endangered.
 Either event will trigger reassessment as they would likely precipitate population declines
approaching 80% over three generations (2015-2034), justifying an assessment of Critically
Endangered. Current Population Trend: Decreasing
 However, recent studies indicate that fruit bats feed on more native and endemic fruits than
previously known (Florens et al. 2017a)
 The breeding season starts around May and the young are born during August to December,
when commercial fruits such as mango and litchi are fruiting. Because both crops are
widespread in Mauritius the bats feed on them widely, foraging in plantations (orchards), small
holdings and gardens. Without the mix of natural food sources and some exotic food sources it is
likely that the population and breeding success of the bats will decline to some extent.
 Only about 5% is native forest (Hammond et al. 2015)
 Cyclones cause direct mortality to island fruit bats, destroy roost trees, and reduce fruit and
flower resources resulting in starvation and/or compromised reproduction (McConkey et al.
2004).
 The Sugar Protocol, which gave African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) countries
preferential access to the EU market, expired in 2009. Consequently, there has been some
conversion of land from sugar cane production to other uses, including fruit crops (Ministry of
Agro-Industry and Food Security 2015). This suggests that fruit grower-bat conflicts are likely to
persist (and possibly increase) over the next three generations, unless mitigation measures are
adopted (netting of trees, planting dwarf varieties, pruning).
 Hutson and Racey (2013) estimated that illegal take of bats for sport or control was c. 2,000 bats
per year.
 It is estimated that approximately 1,000-2,000 bats land and die on power lines each year
(www.mauritian-wildlife.org, V. Tatayah, pers. obs.).
 , ERA is testing organic repellents as well as sound systems to deter bats in orchards- non-lethal
net free solution.
 Net Benefits Initiative A two-day stakeholder workshop on netting and management of fruit bat
damage to orchards was held in August 2017 (Zimmerman et al. 2017).
 Nets and netting – provision of white, 40% UV-treated small mesh-size nets and assistance with
materials/construction of net frames. 2. Pruning of fruit trees – to a maximum of 4 m (ideally 2
m).

Assessing temporal couplings in social–ecological island systems: historical deforestation and soil loss
on Mauritius (Indian Ocean)

S.J. Norder 1,2, A.C. Seijmonsbergen 2, Soonil D.D.V. Rughooputh 3, E.E. van Loon 2, V. Tatayah 4, A.T.
Kamminga 2 and K.F. Rijsdijk

 In 1968, the year of independence, sugar accounted for 93% of the nation’s exports
(Meisenhelder 1997), whereas in 2014 this was only 3.85% (Mauritius Chamber of Commerce
and Industry 2015).
 Today, 25.3% of the island is covered with “forests, shrubs and grazing lands” (Statistics
Mauritius 2014), of which less than 2% consists of native forest (Florens 2013).
  As native forest is being converted to sugar cane in subsequent timeslices (1773, 1835, 1872,
1935, and 1997),
 Today, agriculture (including sugar), forestry, and fishing contribute only 3% to the gross
domestic product (GDP), and the manufacturing of, respectively, foodstuffs and sugar
contributes an additional 6.1% and 0.2% (Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry 2015).
 In addition, 50% of the energy consumption involved in sugar production on Mauritius is taken
up by fertilizers (Ramjeawon 2004).

Taking the first steps: Initial mapping of the human-wildlife interaction of the Mauritius Fruit Bat
Pteropus niger (Mammalia: Chiroptera: Pteropodidae) in Mauritius by conservation organizations

Brandon P. Anthony 1, Vikash Tatayah 2 & Deborah de Chazal 3

Citation: Anthony, B.P., V. Tatayah & D. de Chazal (2018). Taking the first steps: Initial mapping of the
human-wildlife interaction of the Mauritius Fruit Bat Pteropus niger (Mammalia: Chiroptera:
Pteropodidae) in Mauritius by conservation organizations. Journal of Threatened Taxa 10(8): 12073–
12081; http://doi.org/10.11609/ jott.4063.10.8.12073-12081

 Negative interactions, commonly termed human-wildlife conflict (HWC),

 Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) traditionally arises from a rivalry or antagonism between humans
and wildlife (Woodroffe et al. 2005), or between people over wildlife and/or its management
(Madden 2004; Redpath et al. 2013).
 The identification, differentiation and meaningful involvement of all affected stakeholders and
the mapping of their goals and opinions on the resource(s) in question and potential mitigation
strategies are crucial before crafting or implementing management decisions (Reed 2008; Reed
et al. 2009; White et al. 2009; Redpath et al. 2013).
 Historically, three fruit bat species occupied these islands: one is now extinct (Pteropus
subniger), leaving one species each on Mauritius (P. niger, Kerr 1792) and Rodrigues (P.
rodricensis). Once widespread over Mauritius, the Mauritius Fruit Bat population decreased
considerably from its original population due to habitat loss and degradation, cyclones, invasive
alien species, climate change and illegal hunting (Hutson & Racey 2013; Vincenot et al. 2017).
 Mauritius Fruit Bats are considered keystone species as they provide critical pollinating and
disseminating services (Vincenot et al. 2017).
 Bats may travel long distances to visit orchards and garden fruit trees for exotic fruits when
their natural food supplies are limited (Aziz et al. 2016). The reported level of fruit damage by
bats has ranged from 9.3% and 11.4% on Lychee Litchi chinensis and Large Mango Mangifera
indica trees, respectively (Oleksy 2015), to over 50% of Lychee trees (Hansard 2016).
 Consequently, a highly controversial government sanctioned cull was conducted in November-
December 2015, with a reported 30,938 bats culled (Hansard 2016). A second official cull was
conducted in December 2016 in which 7,380 bats were killed (Hansard 2017). This culling largely
contributed to a subsequent uplisting of the species from Vulnerable to Endangered by the IUCN
in 2018 (Kingston et al. 2018).
The conservation status of bats in Fiji

ANNETTE SCANLON,SOPHIE PETIT and GUY BOTTROFF

 They are the only mammals native to these islands and throughout much of the South Pacific,
where they are important for pollination and seed dispersal (Cox et al., 1991, 1992; McConkey &
Drake 2002, 2006; Fujita & Tuttle, 1991).