LibGuides at International Environment Library Consortium
Kate Jirik
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American Zoo and Aquarium Assoc. (2000); ISIS (now Species 360) (2005); Mickleburgh et al. (2008); O'Brien (2007); Pierson & Rainey (1992); Thatcher (2010); Trewhella et al. (2005)

IUCN Status:

Endangered (2016 assessment) (Tatayah et al. 2017)

Past assessments

2008: Critically Endangered

2004 Critically Endangered

1996 Critically Endangered

1994 Endangered

1990 Endangered

1988 Endangered

1986 Endangered

CITES Status:

Appendix II (UNEP 2019)

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: listed as Endangered in 1984

About 650 bats in 33 institutions (ISIS 2005, O'Brien 2007)

Species Survival Plan (SSP): 8 North American institutions hold about 300 (American Zoo and Aquarium Assoc. 2000)

(EEP):11 British and European institutions hold around 340 Rodrigues fruit bats (American Zoo and Aquarium Assoc. 2000)

One colony on Mauritius: 28 bats (American Zoo and Aquarium Assoc. 2000)

Slow reproductive rate makes conservation of these animals difficult (Pierson & Rainey 1992) (Thatcher 2010)

Declines in populations not easily reversed

Compared to rats, in a single year in managed care, with no deaths:

Two bats plus offspring = 3 or 4 bats

Two rats plus offspring = 4,000 rats

The Rodrigues fruit bat lives on only one small island, near Madagascar.

A small native range and severe population swings due to deforestation and natural cyclone disasters put this species at risk.

Image credit: © San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. All rights reserved.