Aabot sa humigit-kumulang 160,000 flying foxes ang natagpuan ng Department of Environment and Natural Resources-12 Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) Midsayap sa isang kagubatan sa lalawigan ng Cotabato kamakailan.
Batay sa ulat ng DENR-Soccsksargen noong Miyerkules, Mayo 6, namataan ang mga naturang hayop habang isinasagawa ng DENR-12 CENRO Midsayap ang isang population count at roost site assessment noong Abril 29 hanggang 30.
Kasama nila sa assessment ang Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO), barangay local government units, at maging ang on-the-job trainees ng Notre Dame of Midsayap College.
Anang DENR, isa raw ito sa “largest recorded concentration” ng fruit bats sa rehiyon.
“The assessment identified three key species inhabiting the site, including the critically endangered golden-crowned flying fox (Aceron jubatus), the endangered large flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus), and the island flying fox (Pteropus hypomelanus),” anang DENR.
Anila, “It was observed that a significant number of juvenile bats were within the roost, confirming the forest’s role as a vital breeding and nursery habitat.”
Base pa sa departamento, ang mga namataang paniki ay mayroong kritikal na papel sa “seed dispersal” at “forest regeneration.”
“Researchers also observed a notable behavioral shift, with bats flying higher above the forest canopy compared to previous low-level navigation,” anang departamento.
Giit nila, “Environmental officials describe these animals as ‘silent reforesters’ due to their critical role in seed dispersal and forest regeneration.”
“With the colony not only stable but actively growing, authorities stress the urgent need to protect Sitio Kalantay’s habitat to ensure the continued survival of these species and the ecological balance they support,” pagtatapos ng DENR.
Kamakailan, natagpuan naman sa Sarangani ang 3,000 paniki, tanda ng malusog na kapaligirang mayroon ang nabanggit na lugar.
MAKI-BALITA: 3K paniki, namataan sa Sarangani; indikasyon ng malusog na ecosystem?-Balita
