MOFAT PHIRI

Community Participation programme for the conservation of threatened bat species and rehabilitation of their destroyed habitats, roosts and caves in Mpumalanga region, South Africa.

LocationCountryCategoriesDate
Mpumalanga region near Middlesburg townSouth AfricaAfrica, Bats, Mammals22 Nov 2007

This project originated from the conservation research carried out by biodiversity conservation lecturers and students at the University of Pretoria in 1996 and in 2006. The results of the 1996 research indicate that there were 25 abandoned gold mine caves in the Mpumalanga region which used to support about 250,000 bats. However, the results of the recent study (2006) indicate that the number of bats in the same region has drastically declined to 18,000 and only 5 caves are still in habitable state.

It was observed that many habitats, roosts and caves had been destroyed and vandalised by setting them on fire and filling them up with small stones, rubbish and broken pieces of glass and wood (Stiles, Martin and Mayienda, 2006). One of the recommendations made to address this human-wildlife conflict was to task conservation bodies in South Africa to sensitise and educate local communities and stakeholders about the importance of bats. This would help them to change peoples' bad mindset about bats. And it is strongly believed that once peoples' behaviour has been changed for the better then they can easily be integrated in the conservation of bats and the rehabilitation of their destroyed habitats. Bats in this area are being killed in large numbers everyday by local communities, kids and stakeholders because they are believed to transit rabies to people and their livestocks, and are also believed to produce bad odour and noise. The project, therefore, wants to educate people about the ecological importance of bats and lure them to participate in the rehabilitation of their destroyed habitats, roosts and caves.

For more information contact moffat62@gmail.com

Project Update: February 2008

Mr Phiri holding sensitization meeting with School Pupils of Mpumalanga region on baat project and its importance.

We are please to report that from 19th – 30th November and 10th – 15 December 2007, the project team organised and conducted 14 sensitisation meetings. The team held these meetings with local people living in the project area, government officials in all departments responsible for natural resources management, schools pupils, teachers and members of the Mpumalanga Mining Association.

The main aim of the visits was to sensitise local people, government officials and the Mpumalanga Mining Association about this bat project, its object and to solicit their support on the implementation of project activities as it is community driven.

In total, 1,083 people participated in these meetings and were sensitised about the project and its objective. Ninety-seven (97%) of the people who attended the meeting were happy with this project and openly informed the project team that they would support them in the implementation of project activities.

Project Update: July 2008

Fig. 1. Mr. D. Raimondo conducting a sensitization meeting with local communities on importance of bats.

From 7th – 19th February and again from 6th – 16th April 2008, the project team organised and conducted 12 public lectures and sensitization meetings (Fig.1) on the importance of bats and why it is important to live with them and protect them from malicious killing. One thousand three hundred and sixty-three (1,363) pupils, 108 teachers, 27 government officials and 320 members of the Mpumalanga Mining Association benefited from lectures conducted as people were informed that bats are important because they:

Facilitate pollination in plants, including some important economic crops;
Eat harmful insects which transit various diseases to man, livestock and pets;
Facilitate dispersal of seeds thereby reducing competition among plants of same species; and
Eat harmful pests of crops which could cause huge damage to our harvests and cause economic losses.

Implementation of these activities have created awareness and imparted knowledge in local communities and stakeholders on the importance of bats. Further, the activities have changed people's perceptions as many people see bats as their enemies and nuisance creatures.


Other Projects in: