Target: The Right Honorable Pravind Jugnauth, Prime Minister of Mauritius
Goal: Protect fruit bats from extinction due to unjust culls.
Around the globe, bats are considered pests or characters in terrifying myths and are therefore misunderstood and mistreated. In 2018, the Mauritian government killed 13,000 bats, more than twenty percent of the population. Now they are targeted again by the call for a new cull.
Most often the fruit bats are shot, but rarely die instantaneously. They are left in agony to succumb to their horrible injuries. Officially, 50,000 bats were slaughtered in recent years, not counting the undocumented killing that is done by the public. The killing results in the population being weaker and less resistant to natural disasters. Additionally, the flying fox was uplisted to Endangered and will be critically Endangered soon.
These magnificent creatures are not only threatened by culls, but also habitat loss through deforestation for farming, mining, and human construction. Their homes are also at risk due to improper tourism and the harvesting of bat droppings, which are used as fertilizer. Furthermore, the bat population is decreasing because of diseases, and in some countries, the rise in wind turbines, which causes many bats to die when they accidentally fly into the blades. Cats, both domestic and feral, pose an additional threat to the species.
Instead of receiving urgently needed protection for being a vital pollinator, the fruit bat is pushed closer towards extinction. And for no valid reason. Calls to cull bats to lessen crop damage are often based on inadequate information on the actual damage they cause. Most often the damage in orchards, that is done by other fruit pests, such as rodents and birds, is not considered.
The cull goes against all commitments to international conventions followed by the Government of Mauritius and the authorities are unwilling to find any non-lethal solutions.
The Government of Mauritius must stop this cull that will endanger this already frail species. Ethical options must be explored to eliminate crop damage. Fruit bats that pose no risk to people or their surroundings must be saved. Sign this petition to urge the prime minister of Mauritius to protect fruit bats.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Right Honorable Mr. Jugnauth,
You already allow more than fifty thousand bats to be slaughtered in Mauritius. You let people shoot them, leaving the poor animals to die of their ghastly wounds.
The flying fox is already an Endangered species and will soon be critically Endangered with your aid in their elimination. Instead of granting the bats urgently needed protection for being a vital pollinator, you drag them closer to extinction. Not only are these magnificent creatures threaten by cullings but also by habitat loss, destruction of their homes due to improper tourism, the harvesting of their droppings, diseases, the rise in wind turbines, and domestic and feral cats.
The bats are killed for no valid reason. You base the call for culls on inadequate information. You disregard to consider the role of other fruit pests in reasons for orchard damage.
The cull goes against all commitments to international conventions obeyed by the Government of Mauritius. Your government must stop culling bats. Ethical options must be explored to eliminate crop damage. The fruit bats that pose no risk to people or their surroundings must be saved. I urge you to stop the senseless killing of fruit bats now.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Tambako The Jaguar
WOW! 50,000 bats in one year!!! Talk about wiping out a species! Their bats seem to be treated like our wolves here in the US. Ranchers deem them a nuisance, because they kill livestock. There are some methods of protection, but only some ranchers use them. Instead, they kill the wolves. I understand that when some animals become pests that they are disposed of, but maybe there are ways to deter them and let them live, so that the food chain is not broken by their absence. Man needs to start working with nature rather than against it.
Over 100 species of bird have been recorded in Mauritius. There are seven or eight surviving endemic species on the main island depending on taxonomy. The Mauritius grey white-eye is the most common of these, being widespread across the island including in man-made habitats. The others are less common and are mainly restricted to the Black River Gorges National Park in the south-west of the island. The Mauritius Kestrel, Mauritius Parakeet and Pink Pigeon all came close to extinction but are now increasing thanks to intensive conservation efforts.
The government introduced a law that authorized the shooting 18,000 Mauritian fruit bats (Mauritian Flying Fox) on 7 November 2015, despite protests and even though the species is protected and listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).[2] According to the IUCN, the high level of damage to commercial fruit that it is widely claimed to be caused by the fruit bats is not supported by the results of the research.[3] By July 2018 the IUCN again listed the fruit bat as Endangered following the previous years’ culls by the government. Despite this status, October 2018, saw the authorization of the cull of 20% of the fruit bat population, amounting to 13,000 of the estimated 65,000 fruit bats remaining. Time to take care of your native animals and plants!
Just horrible and stupid and heartless to wipe out a species. Mankind is not kind to animals
God put them here for a reason.
This nation’s treatment of animals is horrific. Dogs, bats, what other animals are you killing en mass?? I will never travel to your country as long as you practice extinction policies. Time is now to work with nature. It starts with education and understanding the web of nature. And it must start now– stop the killing.
STOP THE KILLING AT ONCE!!! THIS IS HORRIFIC!!~! MUAST BE STOPPED!!!
We do not need any more species of animals to become extinct. It’s time all countries wake up and use their heads. If not, then I hope travelers and business people start boycotting their countries. Whatever we have to do to get this ignorant craziness to stop.
These animals are a benefit, not something to wipe out. Stupidity in humans and the answer to kill everything proves again and again, Man does Not have the right to wipe out a species or the right to feel ‘superior’ to all living things.
What the heck is wrong with people??!! Leave Animals ALONE!! All species of animals are vitally important to our ecosystems and environments. These fruit eating Bats are so valuable to the trees and forests. . . To kill them because of fear and ignorance of them eating up too much fruit is senseless and unnecessary. This is totally UNACCEPTABLE and unnecessary.
Dogs bats what next? Wipe out all animals on Mauritius? Disgusting.
Well let s think about a world full just of humanoid and that is it what do you think???? Isn t that a good idea is it???? Poor everyone… One. Day they eill eat each other and maybe the game will be over who knows?
STOP THE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE MURDERING OF INNOCENT DEFENSELESS ANIMAL’S ‼️
You evil savage barbaric demonic human beings….why is it the only thing you savages can think of….killing??????
Start with your own family….way to many people on earth!!!!
What have the bats done to make you want them dead!! Nothing! They are good for the environment and they don’t deserve to die!
I totally agree with Anne-Mari Gavin. There are too many people on earth. Start with them!
Bats are beneficial; humans are not, as shown clearly by the actions of the government of Mauritius.
It must be made illegal to kill the bats
Bats are necessary to life in thus planet because bats eat bugs so crops can grow. This is torture to these beautiful creatures. I feel so badly for bats being so cruelly treated. Fruit bats are so cute and gentle.
These evil cretin bat killers must be exterminated if they kill these poor defenceless bats.
Kill yourself assholes!
The Right Honorable Pravind Jugnauth, Prime Minister of Mauritius
KILLING IS NOT A SOLUTION. YOU ARE CAUSING UNNECESSARY SUFFERING.
YES I AGREE WITH ABOVE COMMENT THAT YOU SHOULD BE WORKING WITH NATURE.. .. NOT DESTROYING IT. BATS ARE HERE FOR A REASON…THEY A VITAL PART OF OUR ECOSYSTEM.
LET THEM BE …THEY ARE NOT A THREAT. ALL HUMANS THAT TORTURE ANY OF GOD’S CREATURES MUST RECEIVE BACK ALL THE PAIN THEY GIVE.!
First your Murdering innocent stray dogs, that anyone else would live to adopt and now mass cull of bats? Cull Yourselves and then the animals will be safe!