Comoros/Moheli: Livingston Flying Foxes

This was one of the top attractions for us to get to Moheli – to see the Livingston Flying Foxes. These are perhaps the rarest bats in the world and also the largest, with a wingspan of up to 1.4 m (4.6 ft). They inhabit montane forests, roosting in tall trees where they form small colonies. They are endemic only to Moheli island and found nowhere else in the world. Fewer than 1,200 individuals remain! it was a long hike up, steep and strenuous, to get to the colony, when we finally saw hundred of them! The Livingstone’s flying foxes have almost pitch black fur, making the species one of the most striking bats in the world. Despite fierce looks, they are fruit bats and are rather timid. They don’t use explication and just rely on excellent eyesight.