Pemba: Pemba Flying Fox Sanctuary

In the heart of the island of Pemba lies a natural preserve that is a sanctuary for very rare bats. The Pemba flying fox (Pteropus voeltzkowi) is a unique animal with stunning looks. The Pemba flying fox has a distinctive reddish-brown to orange fur on its body, contrasting with dark, leathery wings and a fox-like face with large eyes. These features not only give it its name but also make it visually distinct among African bat species. With a wingspan of up to 1.6 m (over 5 ft) and a weight of around 500-650 grams (1-1.5 lb), it is one of the largest bat species in Africa and in the world! It is endemic to Pemba Island and found nowhere else. The tropical forests of Pemba provide a rich habitat with abundant fruit trees, where these bats find their primary diet of figs, mangoes, bananas, and other native fruits. But their range is highly limited to this small island, making their survival very sensitive to habitat changes, they are part of the global Red Book of endangered species. The bats actually almost went extinct in the 1990s, but the population has somewhat recovered since, thanks to conservation efforts.