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If you build it, will they come? Maybe, but it could take a while. Bats are very discriminating house hunters. More >

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The results of the Philadelphia Zoo study were promising. Both the wild and captive groups of bats still harbored significant genetic diversity, a key factor in maintaining the continued health of these populations. The genetic research techniques developed by the Philadelphia Zoo scientists as part of this study were also later used to conduct a similar analysis of every captive Rodrigues fruit bat in North American zoos. By studying the genetics of bats held by zoos across the country and establishing their relatedness, a family tree has been created, answering the burning paternity question of "Who's your daddy?" With this information in hand, a well-informed breeding plan has been developed to more effectively manage North American Rodrigues fruit bat populations.

While on Rodrigues capturing bats, Philadelphia Zoo staff also presented an education program to all fifth grade students about these rare creatures endemic to their small island. The education program was developed in cooperation with Rodriguan school administrators and the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA). Evaluation of the program's impact was favorable and provided an incentive to make environmental education more widely available to Rodriguans. In 1998, the Philadelphia Zoo, in cooperation with the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF), hired Mary Jane Raboude, a Rodriguan Environmental Educator. Support for this position is also provided by collaborating AZA-accredited facilities and a variety of other institutions and individuals.

Mary Jane uses a community-based approach, working through existing groups to empower Rodriguans with the knowledge and capacity to protect their natural resources. School-based programs teach children about their environmental heritage and how they can positively affect it. Sustainable plant harvesting initiatives enable communities to maintain their traditional connection with the land, while ensuring the survival of native/endemic species. Numerous community-action projects led by Mary Jane have served to offset decades of poor land use practices, the introduction of exotic plant species and the destruction brought on by annual cyclones, all of which have decimated the landscape of Rodrigues and left the fruit bat with only fragments of the habitat it needs to survive.

Through it all, this "adorably fuzzy", universally appealing bat, has hung in there. As the coordinator for the Rodrigues fruit bat Species Survival Plan (SSP), the Philadelphia Zoo's Kim Lengel continues her work to ensure that a healthy, genetically viable bat population is maintained throughout North American zoos. Kim also works with MWF to direct Mary Jane's work and to help guide her initiatives on Rodrigues. The Zoo received the AZA's International Conservation award in 2003 for its research and environmental education efforts that have contributed to the long-term protection of the Rodrigues fruit bat. With the support of local villages on Rodrigues, the international conservation community and you, the Rodrigues fruit bat will continue to thrive for many years.

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