Two near-extinct bat species have been discovered in eastern Taiwan by a group of local zoologists, according to the Forestry Bureau’s Hualien Branch April 24.
Following a year-long biodiversity survey funded by the Council of Agriculture, the Bat Association of Taiwan has spotted 30 bat species in Hualien County, the bureau said in a news release, adding that Taiwan is home to 33 different types of bats.
“Two protected bat species have been found—the Formosan tailless leaf-nosed bat and the Formosan fruit bat,” a bureau official said.
The Formosan fruit bat, with an average wingspan of 1 meter the largest of its kind in Taiwan, had been considered extinct for decades until a small group was spotted again on an island off the coast of Yilan County in 2010, sources said.
Fang Yin-ping, an assistant professor at National Chiayi University and author of the survey, said, “Hualien is characterized by an abundance of caves, gorges and forests, which provide perfect habitats for the nocturnal mammals.”
The research team used equipment such as nylon nets and bat echolocation data to better observe and keep track of the animals, he added.
“The survey results serve as a reminder of both the richness of Taiwan’s natural resources and their fragility, so we should do everything possible to preserve these habitats,” Fang said.
In a campaign to protect bats, the bureau’s Hualien branch has launched several educational programs designed to help nature lovers better understand them. (THN)
Write to Kwangyin Liu at kwangyin.liu@mail.gio.gov.tw