Guinness cites bat cave in Samal

DAVAO CITY – The Guinness World Records has recognized the bat sanctuary in the Island Garden City of Samal (Igacos) as the world's largest for any colony of Geoffrey's Rousette Fruit Bat (Rousetteus amplexicaudatus), a conservationists’ group said.

Conservationists here and abroad said this recognition highlighted efforts to save one of the country's most hated and misunderstood creatures.

The Texas-based Bat Conservation International has described the colony as among the few known to scientists.

"If the wonder of nature still exists, then the bats at Monfort Cave are one of the very few left on Earth, particularly in the Philippines," the BCI said in a report released in 2006.

Mariamarta Ruano-Graham, head of the records management team of Guinness, said in a letter addressed to Norma Monfort, head of the Monfort Bat Cave and Conservation Foundation, Inc., that they took notice of the BCI estimate of 1.8 million bats living in the cave inside the 24-hectare property owned by Monfort in Barangay Tambo in Igacos.

Graham said Guinness was "pleased to inform that you have set a new Guinness World Records…and a certificate to commemorate this is included."

"Although the certificate does not automatically guarantee an entry in our world-famous annual record, we do consider all new records for inclusion in future Guinness World Records publication and products," Graham said in her letter dated February 1.

Happy for the recognition of their efforts to save the bats inside the sanctuary, Monfort said the Guiness citation highlighted their role in protecting biodiversity.

"The role of bats in the environment and the ecosystem has been so understudied and undervalued, that you will be amazed to know that the diversity of many exotic fruits coming from the Davao region, such as the durian, has been scientifically attributed to bats as major pollinators," Monfort said.

She said the BCI's assessment of the bat sanctuary in 2006 bolstered calls to protect the mammals.

The BCI study, Monfort said, showed that there has been an alarming decrease in the population of the bats because of destructive human activities, including hunting them for food or just for fun.

Monfort said there were still some areas on the island where bats were eaten by humans.

The BCI team, she said, even found out that some sanctuaries on Igacos had already been deserted by the bats.

"This makes us realize the obvious. There is lack of information on the importance of bats on people and on the ecosystem. That is the sad truth. And because of lack of information, these friendly creatures are misunderstood and they are killed...that is we want to stop," Monfort said.

Dave Waldien, BCI conservation scientist, who participated in the assessment of the Monfort Cave, once noted that "It has been Norma's diligence in protecting the caves and the bats that has allowed such a treasure to come into existence and to persist."

Aside from the Monfort Cave, the BCI team also discovered at least three other caves on Igacos, where the bats maintain colonies.

But while the bats inside the Monfort property were protected – with guards deployed around it – they remained vulnerable to danger when they go out to feed.

"A nearby property owner reported catching fruit bats by leaving stalks of ripe bananas with fish hooks tied to a monofilament fish lines. Bats coming to the bananas would be hooked," the BCI said team reported.

"Sticky traps may also be used associated with such bait. It would not be surprising to learn that, over the nightly feeding range of the colony, thousands of bats may be killed by such crude techniques," the BCI added.

"People have to know that these creatures are friendly and are beneficial to the survival of the environment and the people," Monfort said.

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