 In October 2015, the Mauritian government declared that the population of "P. niger" had reached a 'threatening' 100000.Widespread anger and protest among fruit farmers erupted, leading Parliament to approve the culling of 20000 bats by the Special Mobile Force.This initiative was widely criticised by international conservation agencies, which questioned the counting process and true efficiency of the culling, as well as the actual causes of fruit damage/loss, noting that more damage/loss was caused by rats, invasive birds, and weather than by bats.