AUSTIN, Texas — Bat Conservation International (BCI) launches a new film series highlighting three ongoing cave conservation projects that benefit some of the world’s most imperiled bats and the communities in which they live: Jamaica, Fiji, and Kenya. In regions around the globe, BCI and their local partners serve as the last line of defense in saving bat species from extinction.
“These films showcase the depth of Bat Conservation International’s commitment to protecting bats worldwide, emphasizing on-the-ground collaborations with local communities to ensure a sustainable future for these remarkable species,” says Javier Folgar, BCI Director of Communications. “Protecting bats not only keeps ecosystems healthy but also supports the livelihoods of people who rely on them.”
The new film series, called Night Watch: A Worldwide Mission, focuses on three vital cave conservation projects. These projects include:
- Jamaica: Protecting two fragile caves, Stony Hill and St. Clair supports the last known populations of the critically endangered Jamaican flower bat and Jamaican greater funnel-eared bat. The films explore efforts to improve roosting conditions and create long-term conservation solutions while benefiting local communities.
- Fiji: Highlighting the creation of Fiji’s first bat-focused protected area, the Nakanacagi Bat Sanctuary, which safeguards the only known maternity roost of the endangered Fijian free-tailed bat and underscores the role of the Nakanacagi community in this achievement.
- Kenya: Addressing habitat loss for the endangered Hildegarde’s tomb bat, which roosts exclusively in coral caves. The films detail efforts to protect critical sites, such as Kaboga and the Three Sisters caves, and BCI’s work to secure land for conservation in partnership with Angaza Vijiji.
While relatively small features on the landscape, caves have a disproportionate effect on the ecosystems where they exist – especially those that support large numbers of bats. “To be really lasting and successful, our work has to go beyond the caves and reach into the human communities that surround them,” explains Dr. Jon Flanders, BCI Endangered Species Interventions Director.
To view the film series, visit batcon.org/nightwatch.
About Bat Conservation International:
Bat Conservation International is a global conservation organization dedicated to ending bat extinctions. Around the world, bats are under unprecedented threat from widespread habitat destruction and other stresses. Without concerted international action, bat populations could continue to fall, driving species to extinction. For more information, visit batcon.org.
— Bat Conservation International
