Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam — Dr. Tatag Bagus Putra Prakarsa, S.Si., M.Sc., a lecturer in the Biology Study Program, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY), participated in the prestigious The 5th International Southeast Asian Bat Conference 2024 (SEABCO 2024) held on December 25–28 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The conference was organized by the Center for Biodiversity Conservation and Endangered Species (CBES) and the Southeast Asian Bat Conservation and Research Unit (SEABCRU).

In the conference, which brought together bat researchers from around the world, Dr. Bagus delivered a presentation entitled: “Population Dynamics, Reproductive Status, Echolocation, Physiological Adaptation, and Feed Preference of Nycteris javanica from Landak Cave in the Gunung Sewu Karst Area, Indonesia.” This topic attracted considerable attention as it highlighted ecological aspects of an endemic Indonesian bat species classified as Vulnerable, inhabiting the Gunung Sewu karst region.

SEABCO also featured several important workshops related to bat conservation and research, including Cave Bat Ecology, Wildlife Acoustic Monitoring, Bat Photography, and the IUCN Red List Assessment workshop. In the Red List Assessment workshop, Dr. Bagus was assigned an important task to assess a rare endemic species from Sumatra, Glischropus aquilus. This species currently has an undefined conservation status, and the assessment results will contribute to an official publication on the global conservation platform, the IUCN Red List (redlist.org), as an initial step toward its protection.

On December 29–30, a post-conference trip was held at Cat Tien National Park, Vietnam, as part of the cave bat and photography workshops. This activity also provided an important opportunity to study bat conservation management practices implemented in the area.

The conference opened opportunities for cross-country research collaboration in bat studies. Dr. Bagus successfully established research collaborations with several ASEAN universities, including the Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, and Universiti Sains Malaysia, focusing on DNA barcoding of bats in Southeast Asia. In addition, international collaboration is being explored with Jagiellonian University of Poland, particularly in research on microplastics in bats.

Active participation in SEABCO 2024 reflects UNY’s commitment to supporting biodiversity research and wildlife conservation, as well as strengthening global scientific networks. FMIPA UNY continues to encourage lecturers and researchers to contribute to international forums for the advancement of science and environmental sustainability.