Discover the fascinating story of fruit bats and durians, The King of Fruits! These large bats are facing danger as they are hunted for Chinese medicine, while deforestation threatens their homes. Is there a way to protect both the bats and the delicious durians?
Did You Know? Fruit bats can have a wingspan of one metre and weigh over one kilogram. They are also the largest bats in the world.
Durian, also known as The King of Fruits, grows across much of Southeast Asia. You can see the large thorny fruit for sale in supermarkets and local markets, and most of us have an opinion about it. With its strong smell, rich texture and creamy flavour, you either love it or hate it. Some airlines do not allow their passengers to carry it onto their airplanes, and many hotels prohibit guests from taking durian to their rooms.
With more Chinese tourists traveling overseas where they are able to experience new foods, the King of Fruits has recently become increasingly popular back in Mainland China – it’s even served on pizza in some restaurants. Last year, 350,000 tonnes were imported to China. Experts say this will increase by 50 percent by 2030.
Forty percent of these durians came from Thailand. A recent change in the law now allows durians from Malaysia to be sold as well. Understandably, many Malaysian farmers are keen to take advantage of this new business.
Durians in Malaysia were grown on small farms. With the new opportunity to sell into China, a huge area of forest in central Malaysia has been destroyed and replaced with massive durian farms. The river that runs through it is now polluted and filled with tree trunks and branches. Areas of forest close to the new durian farms are home to monkeys and exotic birds, and they are in danger.
While deforestation is taking place, another animal that makes the forest its home is under threat. It’s the fruit bat – also known as the flying fox. They are being hunted for Chinese medicine products. Because of this, it is believed that they may soon become extinct.
The fruit bat is not very popular with farmers as they eat their crops. However, fruit bats do help to pollinate durians. After eating the fruit, they drop the fruit seeds across large areas of land, enabling them to grow. Without fruit bats, it may well become impossible to continue to grow durians.
Malaysian durian farmers face a dilemma. They want to take advantage of a new business opportunity in China, but because of the high demand for Chinese medicine, the animals responsible for helping durians to grow could become extinct.
Question:
Watch fruit bats pollinating durian.
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