Some 6,300 large flying foxes were recorded in Maitum, Sarangani Province, during a recent monitoring activity conducted on 22 October, 2025, signaling a healthy and sustainable environment for the species in the area.

The count was led by a joint team from the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) Kiamba, Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO) Maitum, and the Barangay Local Government Unit (BLGU) of Pinol.

According to the monitoring team, the bats were observed either resting or preparing to swarm during the evening count. Their flight patterns were considered normal and part of their adaptive behavior to search for food or respond to minor disturbances in their surroundings.

The large flying fox, a fruit- and nectar-eating bat, plays a crucial ecological role in seed dispersal and tree pollination, contributing to forest regeneration and biodiversity. Known to fly as far as 50 kilometers each night, these bats help maintain the health of forest ecosystems by spreading seeds across wide areas.

Environmental authorities highlighted the importance of protecting these bats’ habitats, stressing the need to preserve tall roosting trees and maintain fruiting and flowering trees near their colonies.

“These winged mammals easily move when their surroundings change, so it is important to keep enough fruiting and flowering trees nearby, protect tall trees where they can safely rest, and avoid cutting trees or disturbing their roosting areas,” the statement read.

The large flying fox is endemic to the Philippines, found nowhere else in the world. It thrives in undisturbed native forests, particularly along river corridors where fig trees grow, and typically roosts in large colonies with other flying fox species.