Exploring Human-Flying Fox Interaction in Sabah Malaysia Borneo
Observations, Cultural- Utilitarian Practices, Conflicting Interactions and Trade
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6059231 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Lawrence Alan Bansa (0000-0001-9033-8133), Rayzigerson Rodney (0009-0004-4251-8083), Marcela Pimid (0000-0001-9065-5323), Liesbeth Frias (0000-0002-7635-1275), Sergio Guerrero Sánchez (0000-0002-3003-5824), Noor Haliza Hasan (0000-0003-0319-9417) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 14 |
| Publication date | 2025-10-13 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Ethnobiology and Conservation (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2238-4782 • E-ISSN: 2238-4782 |
| Publisher | Universidade Estadual da Paraiba/Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (Ethnobiology and Conservation) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.15451/ec2025-10-14-33-1-18 |
| OpenAlex | W4415181291 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 63 |
Studying human-flying fox interactions is crucial for conservation planning, yet Sabah remains understudied. This study examines cultural and utilitarian practices, hunting, fruit-raiding conflicts, and trade across three divisions—Sandakan (SND), Interior (IRD), and West Coast (WCD). The study used a mixed-mode survey design with semi-structured questionnaires, market observations, and 839 Sabah Wildlife Market Logbook records (2015–2019) across districts in Sabah. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics in R and thematic analysis for qualitative insights. Twenty-three percent of participants consumed flying foxes, primarily for food (69.6%) and traditional medicine (30.4%). The declining flying fox sightings and reduced meat availability suggest population declines. Hunting was evident among Kadazandusun (72.7%), Sungai (18.2%), and Murut (9%) communities, driven by meat consumption (53.3%), protection of fruiting trees (33.3%), selling meat (6.7%), and medicinal purposes (6.7%). Fruit-raiding conflicts affected 48% of participants, with lanzones duku-langsat (33.5%) and rambutan (22.5%) as the most impacted crops. While 78.5% of participants tolerated flying foxes, 21.5% used lethal control methods, including nets and rawai. Market logbooks recorded 23 flying foxes (0.18% of total trade). This study highlights the need for context-specific conservation efforts that integrate local ecological knowledge, strengthen wildlife trade monitoring, and promote sustainable, non-lethal conflict mitigation strategies
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| Highly cited | No |
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