As recently as 60 years ago the Madagascan flying fox was widely abundant (9), but loss of habitat due to the rapid rate of deforestation, combined with increasing hunting pressure, has dramatically reduced numbers to approximately 300,000 individuals (4).
Habitat loss impacts the Madagascan flying fox in two ways. Firstly, many roost sites are abandoned because the favoured roosting trees are damaged or destroyed by people. The bats appear to show a strong preference for certain types of roosting areas, and as many traditional sites are used for decades, the loss of roosting habitat is a major threat to the survival of the species (7). Secondly, habitat loss decreases the availability of suitable foraging habitat.
The Madagascan flying fox is not listed as a protected species under Malagasy law (4). It can be legally hunted between May and September but this legislation is difficult to enforce, and so in reality, bats are hunted and eaten by people throughout the year. Hunting occurs both at roosting and foraging sites and is most destructive at the former. There is real concern that the number of animals hunted exceeds the number of young surviving to maturity. Hunting is predominantly for food (subsistence and commercial) but sport hunting occurs in some areas (10).
Conflict with people is reported from areas where the bats feed on fruits such as lychees and mangoes. The former are a major export crop from Madagascar and the Madagascan flying fox is frequently implicated as a pest in orchards (10).
Habitat loss and hunting have resulted in a highly uncertain future for the Madagascan flying fox and justify its classification as Vulnerable to extinction on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (1).