The Bats of Kenya Project Straddling the equator in East Africa,
Kenya is an economically impoverished but megadiverse country.
Many challenges confront its national development, among them a
burgeoning human population, persistent drought and climate
change, and a too-small cadre of scientists and resource
managers. Since 1998, The Field Museum has collaborated with two
Kenyan scientific agencies--Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and the
National Museums of Kenya (NMK)--to solve the nation's
scientific challenges and train personnel. One of these
challenges is the management of Kenya's native bat populations.
Bats represent fully one-quarter of Kenya's >400 mammal species.
Scientists are only now realizing the important ecological
services provided by bats. In addition to maintaining healthy
ecosystems through pollination of flowers, seed dispersal, and
consuming herbivorous insects, bats are crucial -- if usually
overlooked -- partners in modern agriculture. Richness of
African bat faunas by country (from Patte