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Captive Breeding and Field Notes

From the Jersey Zoo, Channel Islands, UK

Merlin
A baby Livingstones fruit bat was born at the Zoo December 15, 1996! Because it was rejected by it's mother, it needed to be hand reared. Dominic, a keeper at the Jersey Zoo, cared for orphaned Merlin. Merlin had to be fed almost constantly, so Dominic kept Merlin in his bedroom! Dominic even had to teach Merlin to fly. Merlin is the first hand raised Livingstones fruit bat. He is doing well, and is now at home in the Livingstones bat habitat at the Zoo.

dom & merlin
"Dom & Merlin"

Expedition1995
Rob Shaw, a volunteer at the Jersey Zoo, joined an expedition to the Comoros to capture female Livingstones. Rob came with some ideas and good tree-climbing skills. Using mist nets and poles, 28 bats were captured but only 5 were females.
rob shaw bat hunting
After quarantine the 9 of the bats were released in the flight area at the Zoo. There were 5 males and 4 females. The subordinate males tend to fly around, while the dominate male stays with the females. They are not yet fully accomplished fliers and there have been some crash landings. One of the researchers has become nocturnal in order to study the bats' behavior in captivity.

Fruit Salad, A Favorite!
The captive fruit bats at the Jersey Zoo love their diet of papya, pineapple, and thinned apple purée. They also eat figs and avocado. Merlin is especially fond of banana!

Livingstones fruit bat

Pteropus livingstonii

livingstones fruit bat

"One of the largest of the world's fruit bats, certainly the rarest, undoubtedly the most stunning, and absolutely the most difficult to capture." -Janette Young, JWPT

Physical Appearance: Livingstone's fruit bat is mostly black in color, with some spots of golden fur. It is one of the biggest bats in the world, with a wingspan of up to five or six feet.

madagascar map Geographic Range: This bat is found only on Anjouan and Moheli Islands, which are part of the Comores Islands. These islands are between Madagascar and the African mainland.

Biome: Livingstone's fruit bat is found in dense mountain forest, usually on steep slopes, which makes it difficult to find.

Diet: Flowers, fruit.

Reproduction Cycle: Livingstone's fruit bats produce one offspring, once a year.

Population Estimate: Although the population of these bats is hard to estimate, current estimates are at about 400 individuals.

IUCN Status: Endangered

Threats to Survival: Livingstone's bat faces severe habitat destruction, and does not adapt well to relocation to new habitats. Storms are also a big threat to its survival. Livingstone's bats are also hunted, sometimes for food.

Conservation/Captive Breeding Efforts: Althought Livingstone's fruit bat was initially hard to catch for captive breeding projects, efforts are now proving quite successful. There are several individuals at the Jersey zoo, and there have been many births there since the bats arrived. There are also efforts to educate local populations in the Comores about bat conservation. Research and population surveys have taught conservationists much about the bats, and how to protect them. JWPT has also been involved with working with the government of Comores to create reserves, and encourage ecotourism on the islands.

Livingstone's Fruit Bat Resources:

Action Comores

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