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
These people are garbage and all need to be jailed or shot for harming animals.
This s a horrible decision. Bats pollenate the food you eat. We are in climate change and bats are needed. Although bats do eat fruit it might be best for you to share. If not what will you eat if a disaster occurs in your country? Each other? If, or when, this happens the world may not give a damn about your problems, not assist nor extend aid, due to your outright culling of bats. What you do in your country used to be your decision. Now you decide for the world. What you do in your country affects the entire world. This makes you responsible and accountable. Please make the wiser decision.
Totally agree! This is so wrong, sad, terrible & inhumane ☹️😢😡😡
Mauritius also managed to wipe out a large harmless bird called the Dodo, which was involved in forest maintenance, especially the Sideroxylon grandiflorum, known as tambalacoque or dodo tree. In Tasmania, the Thylacine (Tasmanian Wolf) was wiped out because it was blamed for killing sheep. Not so; the damage was done by feral domestic dogs and human criminals. Most of the damage to the fruit crops is being done BY INVASIVE SPECIES BROUGHT OVER BY MAN! Stop blaming the bats for your carelessness!