Black flying fox netting, both of which can result in very serious injuries and a slow, agonizing death for the animal if not rescued quickly. Black flying fox The black flying fox or black fruit bat ("Pteropus alecto") is a bat in the family Pteropodidae. It is among the largest bats in the world, but is considerably smaller than the largest species in its genus, "Pteropus". The black flying fox is native to Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia. It is not a threatened species. Juvenile specimens of this species from Moa Island in Torres Strait have been described as a separate species,
Pemba flying fox remaining. Conservation measures implemented by the Forestry Department on Pemba include an education campaign, the establishment of wildlife clubs to protect nearby roosts, and continuous monitoring of the population. Also, the hunting of these bats with shotguns is now banned on most of the island. The local population has been involved in conservation measures and bat-based ecotourism is producing extra revenue for the island. With these measures in place, the number of bats has increased and by 2007 there were estimated to be about 20,000. Pemba flying fox The Pemba flying fox ("Pteropus voeltzkowi") is a species of flying fox