Night Watch: A Worldwide Mission

In the locations where we work, our team is the last line of defense in saving bat species from extinction. While relatively small features on the landscape, caves have a disproportionate effect on the ecosystems where they exist – especially those that support large numbers of bats.

Cave Conservation Around the World

In this video series, three vital cave conservation projects come to life, showcasing efforts to protect some of the worlds most imperiled bats and the communities in which they live — Jamaica, Fiji, and Kenya. Explore the map below to watch the stories unfold.

World Map

Jamaica

Jamaican Flower Bat

Kenya

Fiji

Fiji Free-tailed Bat

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Change their future from extinction to recovery

Prevent endangered bats in Kenya, Jamaica, Fiji, and around the world from disappearing forever by taking action right now. Be the difference between a flourishing species and an extinct one. Ensure their future today!

JAMAICA

Jamaica

Critically Endangered Bats Rely on Two Fragile Caves

The goal of this work is to save two species of critically endangered bats, the Jamaican flower bat and the Jamaican greater funnel-eared bat, from extinction. Only two caves remain that support the last known populations of these bats — Stony Hill Cave and St. Clair Cave. Working with local partners, we’re establishing long-term solutions to protect the bats and improve roosting conditions for them, while also working with the local community to ensure they also benefit from conservation efforts.

Jamaica

St. Clair Cave & Polly Ground Community More than 2 million bats from at least 10 species live in St. Clair Cave, including the Critically Endangered Jamaican greater funnel-eared bat. Feral cats prey on these bats nightly, leaving the area littered with bat carcasses. We are working with the nearby Polly Ground community to protect these bats by installing a humane predator-proof fence to keep feral cats out so the bats don’t have to run a gauntlet to feed each night.

Stony Hill Cave Stony Hill Cave is the last known maternity roost for the Critically Endangered Jamaican flower bat. The species was thought extinct for 20 years before being rediscovered in this single location, where maintaining the hot temperature and high humidity is crucial for ensuring the young are born and able to survive to adulthood. Development is rampant in this area, but Mr. Moore, property owner and community partner, chose to sell the cave and surrounding land to protect it from development. By working in partnership with the Jamaican government, who now owns and manages the land, it will be protected for this bat long into the future.

Jamaica

Jamaican Flower Bat

For 20 years, the Jamaican flower bat was believed to be extinct before being rediscovered in Jamaica’s Stony Hill Cave.

Jamaican Flower Bat

The Role of Bats

Learn about the role of the Jamaica flower bat in Jamaica, and how they impact the ecosystem. For 20 years, the Jamaican flower bat was believed to be extinct before being rediscovered in Jamaica’s Stony Hill Cave.

Beauty of the Bat

In Polly Ground, people once feared bats, but they are now mesmerized by their beauty and diversity, according to community leader Alton Scott. “Everybody is learning these bats are not our enemies–these bats are our friends,” he shares.

Hot Caves

Entering a hot cave is like walking into a sauna, with 90-plus degree temperatures and 100 percent humidity. While this environment is challenging for humans, it’s perfect for Jamaican flower bats to have pups and rear their young. Stony Hill Cave is the last known maternity roost for the Jamaican flower bat, and we’re working with partners to protect this incredibly fragile habitat, where even a slight drop in temperature could make it uninhabitable for bats and cause the species to go extinct.

Jamaica

FIJI

Fiji

Stewardship and Sanctuary for Fijian Free-Tailed Bats

Nakanacagi Cave is the only known maternity roost for the Fijian free-tailed bat. The cave is very important to nearby Nakanacagi community members, and they were an integral part of efforts to create Fiji’s first protected area for bats, the newly established Nakanacagi Bat Sanctuary.

Fiji Map

Nakanacagi Bat Sanctuary & Nakanacagi Community Nakanacagi Community members are the traditional custodians of Nakanacagi Cave, and they are now, in partnership with the National Trust of Fiji, the stewards of the newly created Nakanacagi Bat Sanctuary, which includes the cave and surrounding land. Fiji’s first protected area for bats protects the only known maternity colony for the Fijian free-tailed bat.

Fiji

Fijian Free-tailed Bat

Nakanacagi Cave is now part of Fiji’s first protected area established with bats as its main conservation focus: Nakanacagi Bat Sanctuary.

Fiji Free-tailed Bat

Exploring the Fijian Free-Tailed Bat

The Fijian Free-Tailed bat is a mid-sized insectivore known for its chocolate brown coat and impressive speed, exceeding a hundred miles per hour. These bats emerge at dusk, flying over the island and across the Pacific, playing a vital role in controlling insect populations. Their aerodynamic flight allows for tight turns and quick maneuvers, showcasing their remarkable evolutionary adaptations to their ecological niche.

Empowering the Next Generation

Local leadership is crucial in conservation projects, especially in bat conservation. The next generation is key to Fiji’s conservation future, motivated by a personal connection to bats. There is a strong focus on sharing knowledge and building careers in conservation.

Fiji

Kenya

Kenya

Collaborative Conservation on the Coast of Kenya

On Kenya’s coast, bats like the Endangered Hildegarde’s tomb bat exclusively use coral caves for roosting. However, deforestation and urban development are destroying this vital habitat leaving the bats with no alternatives. Just two caves are home to 70% of Kenya’s Hildegarde tomb bat population, and BCI is working to protect them. Deforestation and landscape degradation are the main threats at Makuruhu and the Three Sisters caves, where the insectivorous bats are losing the vegetation they need to find food. Kaboga Cave, located in an area popular with tourists, is faced with rapid urban development, with most of the area already converted into buildings, such as hotels. To protect this vital habitat, BCI purchased the land surrounding Kaboga Cave for our Kenyan partner organization Angaza Vijiji to manage. While Hildegarde’s tomb bat is one of the critical bats we’re working to save, other bats, such as the African trident bat and striped leaf-nosed bat, also rely on these important caves. Our work offers hope for the future of these species, as we partner with community members to attain ecological balance while protecting bats and supporting community livelihoods.

Fikirini (Tswaka Giant Three Sisters Caves) Tswaka Giant Three Sisters Caves are located by Fikirini village, and it is an important site for Hildegarde’s tomb bats and a number of other imperiled bat species. We are working with the community to protect bats and community livelihoods.

Watamu (Kaboga and Makuruhu caves) Near Watamu, BCI purchased Kaboga Cave in order to protect it from development. This area in coastal Kenya is very popular among tourists, and the cave was in imminent danger of hotel development. Nearby Makuruhu Cave is also vital for these bat populations, and we are working closely with the neighboring community to protect the cave and the surrounding land.

Kenya

Hildegarde’s tomb bat

Just two caves are home to 70% of Kenya’s Hildegarde tomb bat population, and BCI is working to protect them. With partners, we purchased the land surrounding Kaboga Cave, which was in imminent danger from nearby development, to protect the bats that live there.

Bat Biologist

Join a bat biologist as they journey into the world of bat conservation, exploring breathtaking caves and witnessing the vibrant connection between communities and nature. From long days in the heat to the joy of observing rapid habitat recovery, learn about the vital role bats play in enhancing biodiversity and community wellbeing, fueling a shared passion for protecting these incredible creatures.

Bat Diversity Around the World

The world’s more than 1,400 bat species play vital roles in ecosystems, from eating insects, to pollinating plants, and dispersing seeds. Due to its size and variety of habitats, Africa is home to an incredible diversity of bat species. On the continent and around the globe bats are connected to humans and ecosystems in many ways, and all are affected when one link is removed from the chain.

Caves and Humans

Bats can be very resilient and adapt to urban habitats, but caves are critical homes for many bat species. If we lose their caves, we lose these bats. Kenya’s Kaboga Cave is threatened by rapid development encroaching on the cave entrance. Together with local partners we are working to protect Kenyan cave roosts and surrounding habitat to save African bats long-term.

The Next Generation

Trees don’t grow overnight, and conservation work can take some time to come to fruition. We are working with partners to plant trees now that will become forests for future generations of humans and bats. Young people are the future, and local school children and youth are an integral part of these efforts, as they gain the skills they will need for the future and become stewards of their communities.

Kenya

Support Our Global Projects

Change their future from extinction to recovery

Prevent endangered bats in Kenya, Jamaica, Fiji, and around the world from disappearing forever by taking action right now. Be the difference between a flourishing species and an extinct one. Ensure their future today!

“To be really lasting and successful, our work has to go beyond the caves and reach into the human communities that surround them.”

Jon Flanders, PhD
BCI Endangered Species Interventions Director