Pafos Live 24 April 2024
The renovation works in the district of Anavargos gave rise to a cave of fruit bats "Rousettus aegyptiacus" or night owl that was not widely known.
It is the only one within the boundaries of the municipality of Pafos and possibly the entire low area. Provision has been made for ventilation in the cave. According to a study by the International Scientific Congress on bats, the fruit bat "Rousettus aegyptiacus" (or mothmapparos) almost disappeared in Cyprus.
Cyprus is the only member state of the European Union that has the honour of hosting the species. When Cyprus joined the European Union, "this beautiful creature had the opportunity to be protected through the implementation of European legislation, like all other bat species." Unfortunately, the legislation remained only on paper and Cyprus risks losing an irreplaceable treasure.
The numbers included in the study reveal that between 2005 and 2009 the fruit bat population had a dramatic decline of 85%. In 2010 the only bat species in the European Union decreased by 95%.
Most of their nests are now empty and this species is on the verge of extinction, due to the long delay observed by the state authorities, to take protective measures such as building metal mesh outside their nests. The measures taken in recent years are leading to the recovery of the species.
