The Marianas fruit bat (Pteropus mariannus), a species endemic to the Mariana Islands, is now considered endangered on Guam and has been proposed for endangered status under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. This species, considered a delicacy among the indigenous people, has been under investigation by the Aquatic and Wildlife Resources Division of Guam since 1962. These investigations documented a steady decline in a population index throughout the 1960's. Thereafter, annual surveys revealed that only a few dispersed, solitary bats remained in the prime habitat on Guam which once supported colonies numbering in the hundreds of bats. Reasons for the decline include: increased population pressures resulting in over-hunting and permanent habitat loss, commercial exploitation of this food species, periodic severe typhoons, the lack of an adequate enforcement staff, and delays by the local legislatures in passing protective legislation. Future investigations of the Marianas fruit bat will include a monitoring program of the population of Guam, which is now completely protected by law, and fruit bat surveys of the islands of Rota, Tinian and Saipan. Life history data will be collected to the extent now possible. In the planning stages are the following projects: development of methods of capture and marking, a feasibility study of captive propagation, a more intensive study of life history and ecology, a public awareness campaign and increased low enforcement.
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