Rare megabat released into wild in Hualien believed dead

Taipei, Dec. 10 (CNA) A megabat of a critically endangered species endemic to Taiwan is believed to have been killed by a predator less than one month after being released back into the wild, the Hualien branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency said Tuesday.

The pteropus dasymallus formosus, named Fubao (蝠寶), was likely killed by a predator on or before Dec. 5 after researchers found only remains of the bat and its GPS tracker near what is believed to have been its roost, based on location data collected from the tracker on Dec. 6, the branch said.

The two-week-old Fubao was found injured and weighing only 80 grams in Hualien City in April by a citizen who took it to the facility.

After being nursed back to health and growing into a 307g adult bat, it was released into the wild on Nov. 12.

To trace its daily activity and chance of survival in the wild, researchers monitored the bat for the first two weeks of its release and ensured it sheltered in an area with low brush cover, the branch said.

However, it added that researchers observed the bat did not leave its fixed location from noon on Dec. 5 to the morning of Dec. 6, indicating it probably died on or before Dec. 5.

After consultations with several experts, it is believed the bat could have been killed by a day-active raptor, according to the branch.

It expressed disappointment that the rare bat failed to survive in the wild, but noted that the joint efforts of various agencies to treat and care for the mammal prior to its release into the wild was an invaluable experience for those involved in looking after wild animals.

The branch urged members of the public to call the 1999 hotline or 0800-057930 to report any sightings of pteropus dasymallus formosus, noting that taking such an endangered species home could result in a fine.

Green Island, 33 km off Taitung County, is home to the largest population of the bat species across Taiwan, with up to 2,000 reportedly living on the island in the 1970s.

However, due to the decline in its original habitat, the megabat gradually migrated to Taitung, Hualien, Kaohsiung and Yilan on Taiwan proper, according to experts.

In April 2005, the Taiwan Endemic Species Research Institute and the Bat Association of Taiwan conducted an investigation of pteropus dasymallus formosus on Green Island, in which fewer than 10 of the bats were found to exist.

A study by Taipei Zoon research team from 2005-2009 estimated that only 12 pteropus dasymallus formosus were still on the island.