In cooperation with a local government, CAS Institute of Zoology (IOZ) has established the Asia's first bat research and protection center in Fangshan, southwest suburb of Beijing. Its opening ceremony was held on Nov. 16.
Among more than 1,000 different species of bats in the world, according to Prof. Zhang Shuyi, a bat biologist in IOZ, over 100 are endemic to China and 20 to Beijing. They are a key animal group in the ecological system. Many small insectivorous microchiropteran bats, for instance, have the ability to use echolocation in hunting and are a natural enemy of many pests that post dangers to agriculture, forests and human health. In addition, bionic research conducted on bats could shed light on aircraft production and renovation. However, China's bat population has shrank by more than 50% over the past two decades, causing serious problems in environmental protection.
Covering an area of 1.61 square kilometers, the center's reserve is located in a mountainous region where about 3,000 Rickett's big-foot bat
(Myotis ricketti), a peculiar bat feeds on fish in China, has been discovered by CAS researchers in a cave. Upon its completion in 2005, the center will consist of an exhibiting hall and a huge living room for bats. Equipped with infrared telescope and night vision devices, scientists will conduct research on bats, and visitors will learn knowledge about them.
