160,000 flying foxes found in Cotabato forest

A colony of about 160,000 flying foxes roosts in a forest in Banisilan, Cotabato. (Photo courtesy of Cenro Midsayap)

MANILA, Philippines — Around 160,000 flying foxes were documented in a forest in Banisilan, Cotabato, following a two-day population count and roost site assessment last month.

The monitoring was conducted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-12 Community Environment and Natural Resources Office Midsayap, in partnership with the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office, barangay local government units and on-the-job trainees from Notre Dame of Midsayap College.

The assessment, which was done from April 29 to 30, focused on fly-out counts and evening dispersal patterns at the roost site.

It identified three species in the area: the critically endangered golden-crowned flying fox, the endangered large flying fox and the island flying fox.

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A significant number of juvenile bats were also observed in the roost, indicating that the forest serves as a breeding and nursery habitat.

Evening dispersal counts showed a “rush hour” beginning at around 5:30 p.m., peaking at about 5:50 p.m., when hundreds of bats per second filled the sky until nightfall.

Researchers also noted a behavioral shift, with bats flying higher above the forest canopy compared with previous low-level navigation.

Environmental officials described flying foxes as “silent reforesters” because of their role in seed dispersal and forest regeneration.

Authorities stressed the need to protect Sitio Kalantay’s habitat, saying the colony was not only stable but actively growing.

Early this month, several colonies of flying foxes were also spotted in Flora, Apayao, during a two-week biodiversity monitoring mission.

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