Mr. Sangay Tshering is a lecturer at College of Natural Resources (CNR). He started working on bats since 2016 while pursuing MSc. in Environment Management in India. Currently, he is working on βDNA Barcoding and Phylogenetic analysis of bats of Bumthang District, Bhutanβ funded by College Research Grant (CRG).
Knowledge and Public Perception Toward Conservation of Bats in Bhutan
Bats constitute the second most diverse order of mammals with more than 1400 species globally. In Bhutan, bats are lesser known and low profile species as we donβt have even a βcheck listβ. In 2004 Bhutan is reported to have the record of 65 species which represents 33% of mammal taxa. However, a proper and exhaustive study is required to confirm its actual presence. Exact number of species present in Bhutan still remains uncertain as the information on many of the species is solely based on literature surveys. At present, a reliable diversity and distribution database is available for species recorded from eight Districts (Chhukha, Punakha, Dagana, Sarpang, Thimphu, Paro, Bumthang, Haa and few locations from other district). For this, a combination of capture and acoustic methods were used. Capacity building events and conservation awareness were also conducted as there are different myths. Its important conserve as they are one of the important components of forest ecosystem and agriculture farming as pollinators, seed dispersers and pest controllers.