A big, fox-faced bat that exists in just one tiny corner of the world: Rodrigues Island in the Indian Ocean. It’s a striking animal, with a thick, fluffy fur in shades of chestnut, gold, and dark brown, often with a pale or golden “mantle” around the head and shoulders. Up close, the face really does look like a small fox—dark eyes, pointed muzzle, and alert ears—only attached to long, black, leathery wings instead of running legs. These bats hang in trees in large, noisy colonies by day, wrapped in their own wings like cloaks, turning roost trees into living chandeliers of upside-down, fur-collared shapes.

At night, Rodrigues flying foxes become one of the island’s most important “forest workers.” They feed mainly on fruit—figs, guavas, bananas, breadfruit, mangoes, papayas, and other juicy, fragrant fruits—as well as flowers and leaves. Like many flying foxes, they don’t swallow big chunks of fruit; instead, they crush it with their jaws, suck out the juice and soft pulp, and spit out much of the fiber and seeds. Those seeds, along with others that pass through in droppings, get scattered all over the landscape as the bats commute between feeding trees and roosts.

Because each bat can travel several kilometers in a night and the island is small, they play a huge role in spreading native plants, reconnecting patches of forest, and helping damaged areas regrow. In short, they’re key seed dispersers and pollinators—a night-time gardening crew that keeps Rodrigues’ remaining green spaces alive.

The story of the Rodrigues flying fox is also a major conservation tale. In the 1970s, after repeated cyclones and heavy hunting, wild numbers were thought to have crashed to only about 70–80 bats, making it one of the rarest bats in the world. A coordinated rescue effort began: habitat protection on Rodrigues and a global captive-breeding program in zoos, led by groups like the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust.

Distribution

Country

Population est.

Status

Year

Comments

Mauritius

Official estimate

EX

Extinct locally: Main Island

Mauritius

20,000

Official estimate

EN

2016

Rodrigues