Relevant authorities are currently undertaking the continuation of a control exercise of the Mauritian Fruit bats that started in 2019.
The Mauritian Fruit bats are classified as a protected wildlife species under the Native Terrestrial Biodiversity and National Parks Act 2015 and that its population has increased over the years to attain an estimated figure of 106 218 in 2019.
Under section 36 of the Native Terrestrial Biodiversity and National Parks Act 2015, provision is made for the setting up of a technical committee for the purpose of controlling wildlife in Mauritius, that may advise for the control of any wildlife species in the national interest when a species has attained a pest status.
The special technical committee last met on 11 December 2019, and recommended that 10% of the total estimated population is to be controlled, and the exercise was proposed for 2019 and 2020. Control exercise was carried out on a smaller scale in specific sites in December 2019 and some 1709 bats were controlled.