A Bat’s End. The Christmas Island Pipistrelle and Extinction in Australia

Abstract

The book is easy to read through the sad, and well-documented, path of the loss of a species. This loss could have been prevented, but no immediate or urgent actions were taken to stop the inevitable process. This book represents an invaluable and tangible lesson of how humans should avoid mismanagement of fragile ecosystems because mismanagement can trigger an ecological catastrophe. This simple read has great moral content, and should be taught to future generations to avoid making the same errors that lead to irreparable species loss.The second half of the book recapitulates the main causes of extinction of the Christmas Island bat, which include pollution, destruction of habitat, and introduction of exotic species. The author suggests a causal set of factors that led to the disappearance of the bat and delivers a critical message about conservation policies and management plans implemented by governments. A reflection is then made on the excessive extraction of natural resources that has led to the loss of many invaluable species, as well as the lack of collective awareness towards threatened species and habitats. The book highlights that efforts made by conservation biologists to recover the species were in vain, and opinions of several professionals involved in the process support this idea. Their different versions of the history ranged from anecdotal to personal frustration about the Christmas Island bat extinction. The descriptions by professionals who were personally involved enriches and humanizes the loss of a species by showing that we may all react differently to such a loss. Additionally, the book leaves us with a final thought on the behavior of the Christmas Island society through history, and its negative impact on biodiversity. The closing chapter describes the legacy of the lost Christmas Island bat on the island, emphasizing how conservation plans should be implemented for all remaining endemic species, and lists strategies and management plans that should be followed. In addition to the hard lessons of the extinction of Christmas Island bat that should be learned by society and government, the book leaves the reader with specific actions to prevent further extinctions.