Programme Coordinator – Fillip Toumasyan, Moscow Zoo, Russia
The order Chiroptera includes over 1,300 extant species in 21 families, which represents more than one fifth of the global mammal diversity (Fenton, Simmons, 2014; Kruskop, 2012). Bats are distributed on all continents (except Antarctica) and play a vital role in various ecosystems, both in the tropics and temperate zones. About 25% of all species within Chiroptera (over 240 species) are considered threatened (categories VU, EN or CE) by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The main threats to these animals worldwide are habitat loss and rapid transformation of landscapes amid the lack of information and negative public attitudes towards bats (Kruskop, 2013).
Goal of the programme:
Conservation of bats and maintaining their natural populations through rehabilitation of injured or weakened animals and their return to the natural environment.
Objectives of the programme:
1. Structuring the processes of the rehabilitation of bats
- Providing program participants with methodological and advisory assistance in the creation and operation of bat rehabilitation centers;
- Developing recommendations on the bat rehabilitation and public education;
- Holding conferences and workshops for sharing experience and coordinating action aimed at bat rehabilitation.
- Development and circulation of materials on the threats to bats and need in their protection, as well as on the methods of saving bats;
- Holding lectures and master classes on the work with Chiroptera;
- Maintaining close contacts with the media in covering current issues related to the conservation of bats.
- Facilitating the maintenance of contacts between scientists and organizations involved in the conservation of bats;
- Gathering data on the biology and ecology of Chiroptera and managing database;
- Monitoring the compliance of the research and methods of collecting material with the standards of ethics and humane treatment of animals.
