SEABCRU WORKSHOPS JULY 2012
We are now accepting applications for the SEABCRU Workshops to be held in Hat Yai, July 2012.
The main objective of the 2012 workshops is to bring together people with existing expertise and interest in the SEABCRU priority research and conservation areas to work together to: Share experiences among participants and countries in addressing the different priorities; refine research and training protocols that can provide for better integration and synthesis of research across the region; link research processes and outputs with conservation efforts in and among SE Asian countries; work to collate current data on distribution and abundance of SE Asian bats; inform database development and parameterization; identify future directions for research within and across priorities; network expertise across countries.
Full details on workshop objectives, participant criteria and the application form can be found here.
Applications are due by May 20th.
Old World Fruit Bat Conservation Action Plan - Revision
Progress Summary, February 19, 2012
Prepared by Tammy Mildenstein and C.E. Nuevo
A progress report is available for the revision of the 1992 IUCN Old World Fruit Bat Conservation Action Plan (see attached below). At this point, the project is >20% through with revising the species accounts. We have completed literature searches as well as compiled expert lists and conservation-relevant bibliographies for 66 species (34% of all Pteropodids). For 51 of these species, we have solicited and received revision suggestions from experts and are currently collating responses for editing into final account drafts for review. We have sent 890 revision out to experts on 51 species and have a rate of return of roughly 13%, most of which are from conference participants with whom we have interacted directly (AP Revision Progress.xls).
Read more: Old World Fruit Bat Conservation Action Plan - Revision
Perception of bat-borne rabies risk in Thailand
Rabies in humans has declined ten-fold in Thailand in the last twenty years because of the use of vaccines in the treatment of dog bites. So awareness about rabies, at least in dogs, must be high. It is disappointing therefore that the recent paper by Robertson et al in PLoS Neglected tropical diseases indicates a lack of awareness of ways of contracting rabies among those coming into contact with bats, especially guano miners
Robertson K, Lumlertdacha B, Franka R, Petersen B, Bhengsri S, et al. (2011) Rabies-Related Knowledge and Practices among Persons at Risk of Bat Exposures in Thailand. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 5(6): e1054. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0001054
 rabies bat thai.pdf | [Robertson et al. 2011 - Rabies-Related Knowledge and Practices among Persons at Risk of Bat Exposures in Thailand. ] | 211 Kb |
Good News for Pteropus vampyrus in Malaysia
We've got some happy news from Malaysia to help celebrate the Year of the Bat! We're very pleased to announce that the state government of Terengganu in Peninsular Malaysia has just agreed to protect flying foxes!
November, December News
I am very pleased to say that we managed to submit five applications for the NSF-USAID PEER opportunity at the end of November, with proposals from India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Cambodia and the Philippines.