Protecting the bat
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Dr. Tharaka Kusuminda
A total of 31 bat species, belonging to eight families, have been documented in Sri Lanka but bats are among the most endangered mammals, due to decline in prey availability, pesticide use, roost destruction and deforestation. ‘Winged mammals, nocturnal mysteries: Their beauty & our responsibility’ is the topic of this month’s Nations Trust Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) lecture which will be delivered by
Dr. Tharaka Kusuminda on Thursday, March 20 at 6 p.m. at Jasmine Hall, BMICH.
According to the National Redlist published in 2012, 18 (58%) Sri Lankan bat species are “nationally threatened” (five Critically Endangered, five Endangered, and eight Vulnerable).
Bats play an important role as natural insect pest controllers, pollinators, and seed dispersers. Their natural insect pest control service is vital; they are responsible for the propagation of many plants useful to humans, including fruit trees and timber trees. Further, they are considered successful seed dispersers for facilitating rapid forest regeneration, particularly in tropical environments.
Most of the taxonomic studies conducted on the country’s bat diversity was restricted to the conventional trapping methods in the field and morphological techniques in the labs. However, with the application of integrated taxonomic study techniques such as deep morphological, molecular, and bio-acoustic techniques, Sri Lankan bat scientists are gradually unveiling the true diversity of these winged mammals in the country. Because of their vital ecosystem services, protecting and conserving bat fauna is crucial to the sustenance of this earth.
Dr. Tharaka Kusuminda is working on the taxonomy, ecology, and bio-acoustics of bats in Sri Lanka and South Asia. He completed his PhD in Wildlife Ecology at the University of Ruhuna and studied insectivorous bats and their ecosystem services in the tropical agricultural landscape. He has described two new bat species, including the first ever endemic bat species in the country, and rediscovered several bat species after decades. Currently he is a postdoctoral fellow in IDEAnet project of the Department of Zoology and Environment Sciences of the University of Colombo looking into the identification of potential zoonotic diseases in bats and other wild animals.
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