Field work.

Hipposideros jonesi is an insectivorous bat endemic to the West African region. In 2008, it was listed as a threatened species by IUCN. It is not known if this species is present in any Protected Area. In addition, their population is rapidly declining making it a vulnerable species. In Ghana where the largest population were hosted when it was described about six decades ago, their population have declined dramatically. The main cause of their decline and major threats to their survival is not yet known. In Ghana however, bat meat is a delicacy in most rural and urban communities. Considering its small size, it is not known if hunters and children alike extract this species for meat since bat hunting in caves is a common practice in some communities in Ghana.

Ensuring the survival and continuous persistence of the remaining population of Hipposideros jonesi constitute a high conservation priority. This project therefore aims to achieve this through conservation education of the rural communities that live close to the bat caves. Forikrom is a farming community in the Techiman District in Brong Ahafo region of Ghana where this species has recently been recorded. The project is also engaging in questionnaire administration and population studies to provide insights into conservation and management activities both at the local and national level. Through conservation education and awareness campaigns, we hope to seek cooperate involvement of the people in the protection of bats and the caves they inhabit. This will ultimately create a supportive society where humans can comfortably live with bats.

It is our expectation that all human activities that threaten the survival of Hipposideros jonesi at the Forikrom bat cave will be halted on completion of the project. Furthermore conservation measures would be put in place to ensure the continuous survival of all the bats roosting inside the cave. We also expect that results from the population and social research will provide insights into conservation and management policies to achieve direct protection of this species in Ghana.