Project Update: August 2009

Bats (Rousettus madagascariensis) were captured in four cave roost entrances when they exited or emerged the roosts in the Anosibe An’Ala District. Six to nine metre length of nets was used in each roost depending on the size of the roosts but not the colony. Our preliminary investigation demonstrated that bats are moving from roost to another, and tag marked captured and adult males were seen travelling between roosts.

Our results during three capture missions (November 2008, March and June 2009) showed that among the 61 recaptured bats, the seven adult males are emigrants, and the distance between the caves or travelled distances varies from seven to 40 km. The 54 ones were recaptured in the same roosts. Our next two capture sessions will take place in October 2009 and January 2010, more result on population dynamics and bat movements will be collected in the future missions.