In general, habitat loss, persecution and hunting are considered to be the major threats. This species is considered locally threatened in parts of its range by severe deforestation, and more generally across West and Central Africa by hunting for food and medicinal use. It is the most heavily harvested bat for bushmeat in West and Central Africa, and one of the most frequently consumed mammals in this region (P. Racey personal communication). Large pre-migration colonies are considered particularly vulnerable to any threats. In some areas this species is considered to be a pest and roosting trees may be cut down. Trees are also cut down in order to catch bats for the market (P. Racey personal communication). More recently, people are afraid of large concentrations bats due to Ebola outbreaks in Central and West Africa and may remove important roost trees to evict the colonies.
Name
Emma Hemmerlé
Scientific Name
Eidolon helvum
Common Name(s)
African straw-colored fruit bat
Type of Use
Extractive (i.e., the entire organism or parts of the organism are removed from its environment)
If extractive, for the target species, is this use
study at a number of sites across southern Ghana. The initial focus for the study was the city of Accra; other city explored was Kumasi (6°410 N, 1°370 W); a town: Nkawkaw(6°330 N, 0°460 W) and two broader localities in the Volta region (7°120 N, 0°190 W), and the Afram Plains (7°20 N, 0°40 W), all located within southern Ghana.
Local people (e.g., individuals, communities, co-operatives)
National / local private sector
If more than one box ticked, please provide more details
E. helvum is sold primarily in marketplaces; many bats are also kept by hunters for personal consumption.
Is the use part of a strategy to generate conservation incentives, to finance conservation, or to improve tolerance/stewardship?
Unknown/not recorded
Is there evidence that the use is affecting the conservation status of the species? HIDE
Yes – use is negatively affecting the status (e.g., population is declining; extraction effort is increasing)
Is there evidence that the use is affecting natural selection?
Unknown/not recorded
Is there evidence that the use is affecting poaching of illegal wildlife trade?
Unknown/not reported
Is there any evidence that this use of the species is having a knock-on effect on the status of non-target species
Unknown/not recorded
Unknown/not recorded
Details of assessment carried out
We know of only five significant colonies in Ghana, each holding around half a million bats on average during the dry season, suggesting a minimum of 2.5 million in the population. At this level, it is very plausible that the population is hunted far beyond maximum sustainable yield; the population is most likely being overexploited;
Has a valuation of financial flows from this use at the site/national/international level been recorded
Firstly, the vast majority of commercial hunters kept some of their catch for personal consumption, underscoring the role that bats play as an additional, if seasonal, meat source. The peak season reported for hunting bats corresponds with the main dry season in Ghana, when agriculture production drops.
Has the use of the species been recorded as resulting in changes to human health in this record?
Unknown/not recorded
Has the species in use been noted as being of particular disease risk to humans?
Higher risk: known to be an important reservoir of zoonotic pathogens
Has the use of the species resulted in changes to animal welfare in this record?
Unknown/not recorded
Are there particular practices which have increased the risk to human or animal health or welfare in the use of this species?
Methods of capture/collection
Does the use of this species increase susceptibility to pathogen spread?
Yes
the widespread, but under-reported, hunting that occurs in Ghana will pose a serious challenge if any public health measures become necessary.
Kamins, A., Restif, O., Ntiamoa-Baidu, Y., Suu-Ire, R., Hayman, D., & Cunningham, A. et al. (2011). Uncovering the fruit bat bushmeat commodity chain and the true extent of fruit bat hunting in Ghana, West Africa. Biological Conservation, 144(12), 3000-3008. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2011.09.003
The offtake estimated in this paper raises serious conservation concerns; The numbers of E. helvum we estimate being harvested not only exceeds previous bushmeat reports, but is likely a substantial underestimate; our survey only covered a fraction of the rural areas where most bat hunting occurs;