E-commerce Platforms Exacerbate Wildlife Crisis. Recent research shows that major e-commerce platforms like Etsy and eBay have become channels for trading Painted Woolly Bats (Kerivoula picta). This bat, native to South and Southeast Asia, has vibrant orange wings and a dark bat appearance, making it a popular decoration for Halloween, Christmas, or Gothic themes. The rising demand may encourage more hunters to capture them in the wild.

The Painted Woolly Bat inhabits Southeast Asia, South Asia, and China. Its dark appearance combined with bright orange makes it a popular decoration for Halloween and Gothic themes. The bat is listed as Near Threatened (NT) in the Red List of Threatened Species, with no individuals in captivity; the bats available on the market are captured from the wild.

When discussing illegal wildlife trade, people often think of ivory, rhino horns, and tiger products, but bat trafficking is less well-known. A recent study in the European Journal of Wildlife Research analyzed bat products on shopping platforms and found that American consumers' interest in Painted Woolly Bats is contributing to the decline of these beautiful bats.

The research team, composed of experts from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the University of California, and the City University of New York (CUNY), including Assistant Professor Huang Jun-jia from National Taiwan Normal University, conducted a large-scale search for bat specimens on eBay, Etsy, and Amazon between October and December 2022. In just three months, they found 856 bat products, with about a quarter being Painted Woolly Bats. Etsy had the most, accounting for 86%.

Joanna Coleman, the lead author of the study and co-chair of the IUCN Bat Trade Working Group, said that this data only covers three months and does not include sales from other countries' websites and physical stores. These bats are extremely rare, and hunters might systematically capture every bat they encounter.

The study noted that most sellers are located in the United States, with some claiming that the specimens come from Indonesia. About 20% of product descriptions use terms like "ethical" or "sustainable," with some claiming the bats are captive-bred, naturally deceased, or not harmed. However, the research team firmly refutes these claims as misleading to consumers.

The New York Times contacted several sellers, and only one, NaturalByJim from Ohio on Etsy, responded. He claimed that the Painted Woolly Bats were imported over 20 years ago and have been stored in a freezer since then. However, this claim cannot be verified.

Etsy responded that sellers must adhere to policies banning wildlife sales. However, when asked whether actions would be taken against violators, Etsy stated that it is the sellers' responsibility to understand and comply with the law.

Dianne DuBois, a scientist at the Center for Biodiversity in the United States, said, "This study demonstrates that American consumers are likely contributing to the survival crisis of these unique and beautiful bats, often without realizing it."

Unlike other bats that live in groups, Painted Woolly Bats prefer to roost alone among leaves and have relatively long lifespans, typically giving birth to only one offspring per year. Therefore, poaching poses a significant threat to their survival. The study recommends adding the Painted Woolly Bat to Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to legally ban international trade in these bats.

References:

♦ UC Davis（2024.7.16），E-Sales of a Wild Bat Sold as Décor Threaten Species
♦ The New York Times（2024.7.25），Bats Were Already Struggling. Now They’re Selling on EBay.
♦ Dying for décor: quantifying the online, ornamental trade in a distinctive bat species, Kerivoula picta, DOI：10.1007/s10344-024-01829-9
♦ The Verge（2024.7.29），Please stop buying taxidermied bats online
♦ Center for Biological Diversity（2024.7.16），New Study Highlights U.S. Role in Driving Trade of Imperiled Painted Woolly Bats
♦ Center for Biological Diversity（2024.5.29），Endangered Species Act Protections Sought for Painted Woolly Bats

Source: Environmental Information Center