Beauties Beneath: The Cave Bats of Meghalaya

摘要

Despite its small geographic area, the northeastern state ofMeghalaya harbour a very impressive 50% of the total batspecies known from India. The opulent karst topography ofthe state supports a large number of caves and caverns, whichin turn serve as a rich roosting ground for a large variety ofbats. However, indiscriminate limestone and coal mining inthe state has resulted in serious environmental damage, posinga grave threat to the existence and well-being of uniquecave fauna, including bats. Some reconciliation between theconflicting interests of reaping economic benefits and conservationneeds of fragile cave ecosystems is highly desired.