One of the largest and rarest bats in the world, the Livingstone's fruit bat faces extinction due to the destruction of its forest habitat on two remote islands in the Indian Ocean.

At a glance
The Livingstone's fruit bat is threatened mainly by the rapid disappearance of its upland forest habitat in the Comoro Islands. The forest is coming under huge pressure from the expansion of agriculture, and from the local demand for timber as a fuel and building material.

Other threats facing the bat include disturbance at its roost sites and occasional hunting by locals for food.

Other threats
Natural catastrophes, such as tropical cyclones, also present a serious danger. A chance weather event could easily wipe out a significant percentage of the bat's already small population. Unfortunately, the species does not seem to adapt well to altered habitats, which makes it vital that existing habitat is protected and that damaged habitat is restored.

What are charities doing to help?
To save the Livingstone's fruit bat for future generations, Bristol Zoo Gardens is working with other organisations such as the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, the Comorian government and NGOs such as Conservation International and Action Comores Anjouan. Local people from Action Comores Anjouan, supported by the zoos and others, are actively monitoring the remaining fruit bats on Anjouan and Moheli to keep track of their changing population trends.

In addition, the zoos have provided equipment and funding so that field workers can carry out important research into the bat's behaviour and ecology. For example, we know relatively little about the bat's breeding strategies or social organisation. It's essential that we learn more, so that we can give the species the best chance of survival.

More about the zoo gardens
However, the bats are just part of a bigger picture. Bristol Zoo Gardens and its partners are using the Livingstone's fruit bat as a 'flagship' species to tackle the severe environmental problems on Anjouan and Moheli. The idea is that if the bats are thriving, then the islands' rainforest ecosystem will be in good health too. The partners are working with poor communities to safeguard the last areas of forest and to devise ways of managing the land that will boost local incomes through more sustainable development.

Protecting the forest also stops damage to beaches and coral reefs.

The aim is to show communities how the forest is a valuable resource that retains precious rainfall and prevents soil erosion on the islands. Protecting the forest also stops damage to beaches and coral reefs caused by soil pouring off deforested hillsides. In the long term, conserving the forest will benefit not only the fruit bats, but also the people who depend on the land and surrounding seas for their livelihood.

Two captive-breeding colonies of Livingstone's fruit bats have been established at Bristol Zoo and Jersey Zoo (managed by the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust). There have been many births since the bats arrived, which provides insurance against extinction in the wild and raises the possibility of releasing captive-bred bats into the wild in future.

What can I do?
You can donate to the BBC Wildlife Fund. Donations will enable Bristol Zoo Gardens to expand its work to protect Livingstone's fruit bat and its unique forest home - for example by paying for the training of local community development officers.

Did you know?

• The Livingstone's fruit bat is also known as the Comoro black flying fox.
• The daytime roost of fruit bats or flying foxes is called a 'camp'. The bats hang upside down using the hook-like claws on their feet, which enable them to sleep safely without losing their grip.
• The bat relies on its eyesight and its acute sense of smell to locate food (it does not use echolocation).
• A female Livingstone's fruit bat can still fly when carrying a baby, despite a 25 per cent increase in its body weight.
• A single nursery colony of common pipistrelles - Britain's most abundant and widespread bat - may contain more adult females than the entire world population of Livingstone's fruit bat!