Every year, between October and December, as many as 10 million African Straw-coloured Fruit-bats converge on an evergreen swamp forest in Zambia’s Kasanka National Park. Flying from all over Africa, the bats travel thousands of miles to this freshwater habitat filled with fruits, berries and flowers in the largest mammal migration in the world.

But as land is cleared and degraded in the region around Kasanka National Park for spreading agriculture and mining, the ecosystem’s natural capacity to support the bat migration is at risk. Despite the vast size of their migration, this fruit-bat population has declined 25-30% over the past 15 years, mostly because it is heavily harvested for bushmeat across its range in West and Central Africa.

Rainforest Trust and our partner, Kasanka Trust Ltd., are working to protect 12,701 acres of the bats’ seasonal feeding grounds north of the Kasanka National Park as the Kachelo Community Forest Area. Protecting this essential resource will ensure the forest continues to serve as a critical foraging resource for the Straw-coloured Fruit-bats as they perform their epic migration.

Bats are Vital to Ecosytem’s Health

Millions of bats descend on Kasanka National Park each year, providing an essential food source for Martial Eagles and other predators including raptors, snakes, leopards and crocodiles. As seed dispersers, bats provide a vital service to ecosystems locally, regionally and far beyond by propagating the plants that sustain other wildlife. The vast quantity of droppings they produce is vitally important as a fertilizer in the forest. Protection of this fruit bat is urgent, given its extraordinary importance to the extensive web of life they impact.

Protect Rare Species From Growing Threats

Many species depend on this landscape for their survival. In addition to the African Straw-coloured Fruit-bat, approximately 60 Endangered African Savanna Elephants utilize the neighboring Kasanka National Park. Safeguarding the Kachelo Community Forest will expand the elephant’s range and improve connectivity with other elephant populations. The Critically Endangered Hooded Vulture, White-backed Vulture and White-headed Vulture, and the Endangered Martial Eagle and Lappet-faced Vulture will also benefit from this refuge.