Jamin Ginting Road in Kampung Tengah village, about 30 minute drive from Medan to Berastagi, is usually an easy place to find fruit bats on sale. However, during the last 1 month, there were very few fruit bats on sale here. “It is more and more difficult to catch fruit bats. That is why we can sell very few during the last 1 month,” said Andreas Ginting, a fruit bat seller in Kampung Tengah.
Andreas told SCORPION investigator, he usually catches fruit bats in Aceh and Riau, the neighbouring provinces of North Sumatera. “Currently, policemen strictly control the border of North Sumatra and Aceh provinces, so I stop catching fruit bats in Aceh,” he said.
“From Riau, there is no problem to transport fruit bats to North Sumatra, but the problem is, we can not catch fruit bats there anymore. I recently went to Pekanbaru in Riau to catch fruit bats but could catch none. Therefore, I catch fruit bats only in Sibolangit forest. Usually, I can catch 2 or 3 bats per week,” Andreas explained.
Some fruit bat sellers have stopped selling fruit bats because they could not catch fruit bats anymore.
According to Andreas, last year they sold fruit bat at the price IDR50,000 (US$4.00) each. But now the price increases to IDR300,000 (US$24.00) each.
The fruit bat (locally known as KALONG) is categorised by the World Conservation Union, IUCN, as the Near Threatened status. It needs to be assessed by bat experts if it is still a relevant status. This unique mammal may have become an endangered species. It needs to be included in the list of Indonesian protected species. This species is under serious threats in North Sumatra because of wrong information saying fruit bat meat can cure asthma.
Recently, SCORPION reported fruit bats on sale at Jalan Sudirman and Jalan Bintang Medan, but in a visit on Monday (August 3, 2015), SCORPION could see no more fruit bats on sale there.
Mr.Andreas Ginting showing his fruit bat.
Fruit bats of Mr. Andreas on sale at Jalan Jamin Ginting, Kampung Tengah.
Mrs.Andreas Ginting feeding fruit bats.
