Madagascar's Flying Foxes Are Shrinking, and Hunting May Be Why

Madagascar's iconic flying foxes—among the world's largest bats with wingspans up to 1.5 meters—are getting smaller, and researchers suspect commercial hunting is driving the change. A new study using museum specimens reveals a significant decline in body size over recent decades, pointing to intense selective pressure from hunting for bushmeat. These fruit bats play a critical role in pollinating native forests and dispersing seeds, so their shrinking size could disrupt entire ecosystems. The findings highlight an urgent need for stronger enforcement of hunting bans and community-based conservation to protect both the bats and Madagascar's unique biodiversity. Without action, one of the island's most important seed dispersers may continue to decline in size and number.