Population collapse and habitat loss in the Comoros Flying-Fox after cyclone Chido: Urgent conservation priorities

Tropical cyclones represent a significant ecological disturbance with profound implications for insular biodiversity. They have been identified as major drivers of local extirpations and population collapses among Pteropus species on the islands of the Indian Ocean. The passage of Cyclone Chido in December 2024 caused extensive damage to Mayotte’s native forest ecosystems, resulting in significant biodiversity loss. Among the most impacted taxa is the Comoros flying-fox (Pteropus seychellensis comorensis), an important pollinator and seed disperser species whose population on Mayotte, previously the second largest within the Comoros archipelago after that of Grande Comore (Ngazidja), has undergone a dramatic decline, with post-cyclone assessments indicating the presence of only a few dozen surviving individuals. In this study, we identify and propose a set of evidence-based conservation priorities aimed at informing long-term strategies for the recovery and persistence of P. s. comorensis on Mayotte, in the context of increasing climatic variability and anthropogenic pressures.