Nations Trust WNPS monthly lecture today

Thursday, 20 March 2025 04:28 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Dr. Tharaka Kusuminda to speak on “Winged Mammals, Nocturnal Mysteries: Their Beauty and Our Responsibility”

Dr. Tharaka Kusuminda

The Nations Trust Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) monthly lecture will be held today (20 March) at 6 p.m. at the Jasmine Hall, BMICH.

The lecture will be delivered by Dr. Tharaka Kusuminda, who will speak on “Winged Mammals, Nocturnal Mysteries: Their Beauty and Our Responsibility,” revealing the hidden world of these winged mammals and why we must protect them.

Bats are among the most endangered mammals, particularly in the tropical territory of Sri Lanka, due to decline in prey availability, pesticide use, roost destruction, and deforestation. A total of 31 bat species, belonging to eight families, have been documented in Sri Lanka.

According to the National Red List published in 2012, 18 (58%) Sri Lankan bat species are “nationally threatened” (five Critically Endangered, five Endangered, and eight Vulnerable).

Dr. Tharaka Kusuminda is working on the taxonomy, ecology, and bioacoustics of bats in Sri Lanka and South Asia. He completed his PhD in Wildlife Ecology at the University of Ruhuna and studied about the insectivorous bats and their ecosystem services in the tropical agricultural landscape..

Currently, he is serving as a postdoctoral fellow in the IDEAnet project of the Department of Zoology and Environment Sciences of the University of Colombo and extending his expertise into identification of potential zoonotic diseases in bats and other wild animals.

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