Oregon Zoo welcomes three rare flying fox bat babies

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon Zoo has welcomed three Rodrigues flying fox bat pups into its family, helping grow the population of a species that once nearly went extinct.

The zoo explained that the bat, called the “flying fox” thanks to an expressive furry face and pointy ears, is endangered and native only to Rodrigues, a tiny island in the Indian Ocean about 900 miles east of Madagascar.

The bat is an important pollinator and seed disperser exist, contributing an "important ecological role."

Zoo staff members say the new pups are part of an important conservation story: "Living proof of the impact people can have — both positive and negative — on wildlife and species conservation."

PREVIOUSLY | Oregon Zoo welcomes three rare 'Rodrigues flying fox' bat pups in 2021

“Every bat pup is important, especially for an endangered species like this one,” said Kelly Gomez, who oversees the zoo's bat area. “Rodrigues flying foxes nearly went extinct a few decades ago. That they’re still here shows that people can make a difference if we work together for wildlife.”

At one point in the 1970s fewer than 100 Rodrigues flying fox bats remained, the Zoo said.

The Oregon Zoo began caring for and considering the bats in 1994, and says it has raised more than 50 pups since then.

According to the Zoo, the Rodrigues flying fox population has increased to around 20,000 thanks to more than four decades of conservation activity.

“Helping to sustain a population in zoos is especially important for an island species like this one,” Gomez said. "With so few left and such a limited geographic range, a severe weather event on their island could essentially wipe them out."

Visitors to the zoo can catch a glimpse of the new arrivals in the bat cave, located in the Africa Rainforest area.