Rescued Mariana fruit bat pup

In 2008 illegal hunting of Mariana fruit bats on the island of Rota (Northern Mariana Islands; NMI) was at an all-time high. The state and federal laws intended to protect this imperiled species were blatantly ignored by poachers and the fruit bat population on Rota was heading toward local extirpation. With support from Lubee, Rota Conservation Education (RCE; previously known as Rota Conservation and Ecotourism) conducts education and outreach programs that contribute to increased public support for conservation of the fruit bat and they assist local and federal law enforcement with monitoring illegal hunting activities. An investigation of an attack on a fruit bat colony in 2008 led to a conviction in 2011 of a retired police lieutenant from Rota for illegal possession of dead Mariana fruit bats; this was the first federal case tried in the NMI in regards to laws protecting Mariana fruit bats and efforts from RCE helped make it happen.  

Rota High School students

Rota has the last viable population of fruit bats in the southern Mariana Islands and persistence of the species in this region is dependent on the Rota population. Although illegal hunting of fruit bats on Rota has declined as a result of education, outreach, and enforcement efforts, it continues to threaten the survival of this vital population. Rota has a small community where people feel accountable to each other, but not necessarily to outside agencies, laws, or institutions, and social obligations often prevent local authorities from enforcing wildlife protection laws. Training and employing local people in positions which directly involve them in conservation and research is one of the most effective ways to change local attitudes; direct engagement promotes appreciation of the species' intrinsic value and provides an alternative economic value to the species.  

All RCE programs employ local community members to assist with design and implementation of education and research programs. The goal of RCE's current program is to empower students of Rota to take ownership of and pride in the conservation of native wildlife by giving them the knowledge and skills needed to pursue their own conservation-oriented actions. This program will establish the Rota Youth Environmental Association (YEA) and facilitate implementation of student-led research, education, and entrepreneurial projects that emphasize conservation of fruit bats and other wildlife on Rota. With the help of professional mentors, students will learn how to write professional proposals for public funding, design and implement conservation-oriented projects in their specific field of interest (e.g., science, business, marketing, or education), and report on their findings and the results of their efforts. In this program, students will collaborate with professional wildlife biologists, conservation organizations, established businesses, and each other. Through these collaborations, students will have the opportunity to acquire professional skills and associations necessary to facilitate long-term career and conservation objectives.    

Rota High School students

You can make a difference by donating to our ongoing conservation efforts on Rota, ensuring the survival of this threatened species for future generations. 

*Correction on photo posted in 2011 Winter enewsletter* 

It has been brought to our attention that the individual in this photo is not actually a poacher but a legal hunter of deer and an upstanding individual in the community. This picture represents the kinds of images the camera traps are taking. The actual pictures of poachers are being used in ongoing investigations.