Are we hunting bats to extinction? : Worldwide patterns of hunting risk in bats are driven by species ecology and regional economics

Abstract

Bats are routinely neglected in conservation, often regarded as uncharismatic and constantly maligned despite their provision of economic and ecosystem services. Yet many species are threatened, and while the loss of roosting and foraging habitat has been explored, the impacts of hunting on species survival are less well understood. Here, we analysed the hunting risk of 1320 bat species (of 1400 known) from around the world and explored the association between ecological traits and socioeconomic variables. Globally, at least 19 % of species are threatened by hunting. Large-bodied bats with narrow distributions are at increased risk of hunting, particularly in tropical regions. Multiple threats, such as habitat loss and modification, are likely to exacerbate the pressures experienced by hunted species. Furthermore, accessibility to bat habitats and low-income drive bat hunting in developing countries. With the global economic recession and the need for economic recovery following the pandemic, hunters may rely more on wildlife for subsistence and pose a threat to both biodiversity and public health. Achieving the balance between economics and conserving biodiversity is challenging due to socioeconomic factors, and the complex interplay of different forms of threat. Therefore, interventions to reduce bat hunting activities should include greater investment to facilitate sustainable livelihood development in the rural economy, and elevating public knowledge about bat ecosystem services, and their potential role in the transmission of zoonotic diseases.