Globally, island bats are vulnerable to subsistence hunting, with widespread population declines, local extirpations and extinctions. Bats are important to the ecological functioning of remote oceanic islands, and thus the sustainable management of hunting of flying foxes Pteropus spp. is a conservation priority in the Pacific. In Solomon Islands people hunt flying foxes for bushmeat and their canine teeth, which are used as traditional currency. The value of teeth potentially increases hunting pressure on species of Pteropus. We interviewed 197 people on Makira Island to determine the nature of this use and how it may influence flying-fox populations. We asked questions to gather information about hunting practices, the value of canine teeth, utilization of traditional currency, and population trends of Pteropus. Flying-fox teeth remain highly valued on Makira. It is primarily the teeth of P. tonganus that are used rather than those of the smaller P. cognatus. Although flying foxes are not targeted solely for their teeth, this added value seemingly drives hunters to focus on P. tonganus. Hunting varied across five regions of Makira and high hunting pressure corresponded with perceived rarity of P. tonganus. Regions with low hunting pressure may be opportune locations to initiate flying-fox conservation on Makira.

A questionnaire survey and literature review revealed the extent of hunting of bats for bushmeat in the Old World tropics. High levels of offtake were reported throughout Asia, the Pacific islands and some Western Indian Ocean islands, where fruit bats of the genus Pteropus are eaten extensively. Most hunting in Africa was reported in western states and the largest fruit bat Eidolon helvum was preferred. Insectivorous bats are also eaten, particularly Tadarida in Asia. Hunting is both for local consumption and commercial, sometimes involving cross-border transactions. The high levels of hunting reported and the low reproductive rate of bats indicate there are likely to be severe negative effects on bat populations, and declines of several species are documented. Although there has been only one reported attempt to manage offtake, this indicates that it is possible and apparently successful. Furthermore, voluntary controls on hunting have halted declines in bat numbers. There have been several initiatives to reduce hunting pressure and conserve threatened bat species, mainly on islands that, when sustained, have been successful. More education projects and community-based conservation initiatives should be encouraged together with further attempts at sustainable harvesting in situations where disease risk has been evaluated.

The grey-headed flying fox Pteropus poliocephalus, a nationally vulnerable species, is endemic to coastal eastern Australia, from Maryborough, Queensland, through New South Wales to Melbourne, Victoria. Pteropus poliocephalus forages at night, primarily on eucalypt blossom within 50 km of traditional camps (day roosts), usually in dense, riparian vegetation. Several attempts have been made to track long-distance movements of P. poliocephalus across its extensive and climatically highly variable range, but the technology has been inadequate for tracking at the required speed and scale. Satellite tracking was used to monitor movements of a 2-year-old male P. poliocephalus, trapped at the Currie Park camp in the north of the species' range (28°48′S) from January 2000, and another from its most southerly camp, Melbourne (37°50′S), from April 2000. The first flying fox moved camp 50 km noth-east to Dallas Park, where it stayed until March, then transited at least 15 other camps between 28°12′–32°44′S, before returning to Dallas Park in September. The second flying fox remained in Melbourne until July, then transited at least six other camps to 33°44′S, before returning to Melbourne in January 2001. Both animals made round trips of at least 2000 km, traversing >4° latitude, before returning to their camps of origin, while other animals remained. The study suggests that P. poliocephalus is a partial migrant that uses winds to facilitate long-distance movements, and underlines the importance of management at a national scale.

Distributions of flying-fox (Pteropus alecto and P. scapulatus) were examined in relation to use of habitat in the essentially natural landscape of northern Australia. There were differences between the species in terms of the vegetation used for roosting and foraging, which were related to the reproductive cycle and seasonal variation in temperature, rainfall and the availability of preferred foods. Important habitats of P. alecto varied seasonally and included floodplain, mangrove, monsoon rainforest, Melaleuca open-forest, and Eucalyptus miniata/E. tetrodonta open-forest and woodland. The minimum scale at which conservation of P. alecto should be attempted is in the order of 5000 km2, based on seasonal patterns of habitat use. The size of this area will make conservation via traditional reserves difficult and conservation of important habitats outside reserves will be needed. Habitats protected for the benefit of P. alecto will also benefit P. scapulatus but because P. scapulatus is more mobile, displays greater yearly variation in distribution and is less well understood than P. alecto, appropriate conservation actions are less certain.

We investigated camps of black Pteropus alecto and red flying-fox P. scapulatus in the early dry season of 1992 (April–June) in Kakadu National Park, a World Heritage Area in the wet-dry tropics of north Australia. Fifteen camp-sites were located and two types of camps were defined: main camps containing > 1000 animals and a significant component of young (P. alecto, n = 4; P. scapulatus, n = 2) and satellite camps of lesser size (P. alecto, n = 9; P. scapulatus, n = 3). The two species shared three camp-sites. All camps were in dense riparian vegetation (fresh and saltwater mangroves, paperbark forests, closed forest and bamboo), overhanging or adjacent to water inhabited by crocodiles, that would provide a protected microclimate and protection from predators. All camps were within 5 km or less of one or more unoccupied sites that were indistinguishable in landform or vegetation from camp-sites. In Kakadu NP riparian vegetation makes up about 6% of the park and is a non-limiting resource for flying-fox roosting. We propose that the initial colonization of camp-sites is essentially random when roost vegetation is non-limiting and that factors such as predation by humans, cyclones and fires determine the persistence and size of camps at the local level. At a broader temporal and spatial scale, interaction between the seasonal availability of forage and reproductive cycles is known to influence the location, size and structure of Pteropus camps. We advance the hypothesis that colonies of flying-foxes could be moved to new camp-sites, a strategy that would facilitate resolution of the frequently problematic management of these animals.