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Poacher caught on camera

The Mariana fruit bat (Pteropus mariannus) project on the island of Rota (CNMI) has been  an ongoing top-priority conservation project for Lubee Bat Conservancy. The Mariana fruit bat is a federally listed threatened species whose populations are rapidly declining throughout the Marianas Islands. Although federal and local laws protecting the fruit bats have been in place since 2005, enforcement actions have been insufficient and no one has ever been arrested for illegally hunting this animal. The fruit bat population on Rota has declined by at least 35% since 2002 and at least 15-18% of the population has been killed by illegal poaching since June 2008. Poachers are unabashed in their illegal activities on Rota because they are unafraid of legal consequences to their actions. The Mariana fruit bat will not persist in the CNMI if poaching continues at the current rate. Poaching will not stop unless criminals are caught and prosecuted, or made to understand that there are consequences to breaking wildlife protection laws.  

In 2010, Lubee and Walt Disney World (through Disney's Wildlife Conservation Fund) partnered together with Rota Conservation and Ecotourism to fund a poaching deterrence and flying foxes protection project. The goals and accomplishments of the project were to deter poaching activities targeting Mariana fruit bats on Rota, and to increase local knowledge of the status of the fruit bat population, biological and anthropomorphic factors contributing to their decline, wildlife protection laws, and ways people can contribute to fruit bat conservation. This grant contributed to those efforts by providing materials needed for education programs as well as equipment used for surveillance of poaching activities. Trail cameras were purchased and mounted on trails and roads which are used by poachers to kill fruit bats. These cameras provided 24-hour camera surveillance of fruit bat colonies, flyways, and foraging areas. Incriminating photos were acquired against individuals killing fruit bats and evidence was submitted to investigators with the CNMI Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Aluminum signs were posted throughout the island to warn people that areas used by fruit bats are monitored by camera surveillance and these signs act as a deterrent to poaching even if a camera is not available. A portion of the funding was also used to purchase and distribute 150 copies of the film "Fanihi, A Cultural Digest", by Jim Tharp. This is a documentary filmed on location in Rota and uses interviews and commentary of local Chamorro community members to convey the issues surrounding the cultural importance of the Mariana fruit bat, the decline in their populations due to unsustainable and non-traditional hunting practices, and the need to protect the species in the Marianas. This film was distributed to schools, government agencies, and local community members on Rota and was a feature presentation at the Saipan First Friday Films at American Memorial Park and at the Rota Environmental Expo. Presentations on fruit bat ecology, population status, and conservation needs were given to Rota DFW law enforcement personnel and local schools. Five Rota DFW law enforcement personnel and 3 high school science classes (~50 students) participated in education programs conducted by RCE.

The island of Rota has the last viable population of fruit bats in the southern Marianas, but illegal hunting is a consistent threat to the persistence of this population and to recovery of the species in this region. Continued education, outreach, monitoring of poaching activities, and enforcement of wildlife protection laws are required for recovery of the species.   If you would like to contribute to our ongoing conservation efforts on Rota, please click the link below.

Rota High School students

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