At a Glance
Four facts to hold on to.
Fruit, not blood
It is a frugivore. Vampire bats are not found in India.
Once “vermin”
Old Schedule V of the 1972 Act.
Schedule II today
After the 2022 amendment cut six schedules to four.
2026 heat deaths
Nearly 700 died in Chhattisgarh.
In this lesson
Diet, and Legal Status From Vermin to Schedule II
Diet: fruit, not blood
- The Indian Flying Fox (Pteropus giganteus) is a frugivore. It feeds on fruit, nectar, and flowers, not blood.
- A common exam trap confuses it with vampire bats. Vampire bats feed on blood. They are native to the Americas and do not occur in India.
- It is one of the largest bats in the world, and India’s largest. It roosts in large colonies on tall trees.
Old vermin status
- Under the original Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, it was placed at one point under the vermin category. That was old Schedule V.
- The reason was crop and orchard damage. Large roosting colonies can strip fruit trees.
True or False: The Indian Flying Fox is a frugivore that feeds on fruit, nectar, and flowers, not blood.
The 2022 Schedule Reform, and Schedule I
The 2022 schedule reform
- The Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022 cut the schedules from six to four. It took effect on 1 April 2023.
- The separate vermin schedule was removed. Section 62 still allows a temporary, area-specific vermin notice for a Schedule II animal.
- The Indian Flying Fox is now in Schedule II. That gives it real legal protection instead of vermin status.
- For the wider rule, see how the Wild Life (Protection) Act protects listed species inside and outside reserves.
| Current list | What it contains | Main legal result |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule I | Animals in the highest protection tier, such as the tiger and gharial. | Hunting is barred, apart from narrow exceptions. Penalties are stricter. |
| Schedule II | Other protected animals, including the Indian Flying Fox. | Hunting is also barred, apart from legal exceptions. |
| Schedule III | Specified wild plants, such as listed orchids and pitcher plants. | Picking, uprooting, possession, cultivation, and trade are restricted. |
| Schedule IV | Specimens of species in the three CITES appendices. | CITES rules apply to trade and possession. Permits may be needed. |
- Schedules I and II set domestic animal protection. Schedule IV mainly handles CITES-linked trade controls. A species can appear in both. Schedule IV includes Pteropus fruit bats under CITES Appendix II.
- Before April 2023, old Schedule V listed vermin and old Schedule VI listed specified plants.
- Vermin trap: old Schedule V no longer exists. Yet Section 62 lets the Central Government notify a Schedule II animal as vermin. The notice must state an area and a period. It does not cover every flying fox in India.
- Legal sources: the current Act and schedules on India Code, and the commencement notice from the Press Information Bureau. Law checked on 24 September 2026.
Schedule I: the highest-protection tier
- Schedule I gives the highest level of protection. Hunting is banned except under very narrow legal exceptions.
- Any Schedule I species gets the same protection, from the tiger to a protected tortoise.
- Schedule I does not mean a species is nearly extinct. It does not mean it is endemic to one region either. Those are separate facts.
- The gharial, the Indian wild ass, and the wild buffalo are all Schedule I species.
True or False: The Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022 abolished the old vermin category (Schedule V) and cut the schedules from six to four.
Previous Year Questions
The Act has been tested several times.
- UPSC 2024Tested whether the Indian Flying Fox is placed under the vermin category in the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. View this question on the full 2024 paper.
- UPSC 2017Asked which of the gharial, Indian wild ass, and wild buffalo cannot be hunted except under narrow legal provisions. The answer was all three. View this question on the full 2017 paper.
- UPSC 2017Asked what it implies if a tortoise species is declared protected under Schedule I. The answer was the same protection as the tiger. View this question on the full 2017 paper.
True or False: A Schedule I tortoise gets the same level of legal protection as the tiger, since both sit in the Act’s highest-protection tier.
True or False: Schedule I protection implies that a species is nearly extinct or endemic to one region.
Current Affairs
A heatwave die-off (2026)
- In late May 2026, nearly 200 Indian Flying Foxes were found dead in Chhattisgarh’s Korba district. Another 500 died in Kanker district in the same heatwave.
- Korba recorded 42-44°C. Researchers say the bats tolerate heat up to about 40°C. At 42°C survival reaches a real tipping point.
- A species once labelled “vermin” now faces a newer threat: heat stress, not hunting.
- Bats spread seeds and pollinate fruit trees. Repeated die-offs threaten the wider forest ecosystem, not just the species.
- Source: The Print.
Think it through: why does the die-off matter beyond the bats themselves?
Flying foxes spread seeds and pollinate fruit trees as they feed. They are part of how the forest regrows. Nearly 700 died in May 2026 alone. That loss also removes their seed-spreading and pollination work. Repeated heatwaves at that intensity could cause more die-offs. That makes it a recurring threat, even though the species is now legally protected under Schedule II.
True or False: Indian Flying Foxes tolerate heat only up to about 40°C, and 42°C marks a real tipping point for survival.
True or False: Nearly 700 Indian Flying Foxes died across Korba and Kanker districts combined during the May 2026 heatwave.
Quick Q&A
What does the Indian Flying Fox eat?
Fruit, nectar, and flowers.
Which old schedule held “vermin”?
Schedule V.
How many schedules after 2022?
Four.
Where is the flying fox listed now?
Schedule II.
What threatened it in 2026?
A heatwave.
🎲 Practice: Indian Flying Fox and WPA Schedules
7 verified questions from this topic.
Question 1 of 1
Question 1 of 1
Question 1 of 1
Question 1 of 1
Question 1 of 1
Question 1 of 1
Question 1 of 1
Leave a Reply