Strange Bat Found in Sumatra

The habitat of rare animals in the forest that is in the oil palm plantations.

A rare bat found in a small area in the rain forests of Sumatra island. The environmentalists said the discovery shows that even though a piece of the remaining forest, still needs to be protected.

England found a bat conservationist from Ridley with a nose like a leaf that is only found in the forest area of ​​300 hectares, as they did a survey of biodiversity in West Sumatra, Indonesia.

Ridley's leaf-nosed bats (Hipposideros ridleyi) found perched in tree cavities (hollows and cavities in trees, under fallen trees, and chunks of wood). By the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the bats belong to the list of endangered species and need to be protected.

Currently, small forest in Sumatra, it is surrounded by oil palm plantations. As known, the plantations are often made in a cleared forest area and then expanding into areas where rare species berhuninya.

In addition to bats, in a survey, also found the sun bear, tapir, agile gibbon, and langur. All of them are also included in the list of endangered animals.

"These findings suggest that certain forest area is the most suitable place for a number of wildlife species that need to be protected," said Matthew Struebig, lead researcher from the University of London, as quoted by LiveScience, 12 November 2010.

To that end, the scientific community, said Struebig, to support the business community in looking at how to prevent endangered species lives in the long run.

"Farmers need to identify a palm specific areas that require special attention, although the area is located on land or their land," said Struebig. "They need to keep and maintain the habitat of these animals," he said.

The area surveyed in Sumatra is currently managed as a conservation area by an oil palm plantation company owners. The management aims to restrict logging and forest encroachment. However, the effectiveness of the conservation of forest areas is doubtful.

"Protecting forests will always be a priority for environmentalists, but if the ambition of the owners of agricultural land to expand oil palm plantations be realized, then keep the forest in oil palm plantations also be important for maintaining biodiversity in Indonesia," said Sophie Persey, of the Zoological Society of London is also Oil Palm Project Manager, on the same occasion(VN)

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