In August 2010, Silhouette National Park was opened by President Mr James Michel.  93% of the island's land area has been designated as protected.  The declaration of Silhouette as a National Park demonstrates the importance of conserving the island's flora and fauna as well as the critically endangered species that reside there.   

The sheath-tailed bat has been classified as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).  It has also been classed as a trigger species for the Alliance For Zero Extinction, which highlights the importance of Silhouette Island for their conservation.

Today, the two previously known roosting sites on Praslin and La Digue have all but been abandoned, with the largest surviving roost existing on Silhouette Island, where two caves have been located.  There are still however, three small roosts that also reside on Mahé. 

Currently, the Silhouette roosts are being monitored by the Nature Protection Trust of the Seychelles.  Such monitoring techniques have included the installation of an infra-red CCTV system into one roost, which has allowed for continual monitoring without disturbing the bats in any way.  The CCTV footage has helped to provide new and significant information regarding the behaviour and ecology of this rare species. 

Habitat restoration has also proved to be a very successful conservation method, as new vegetation has lead to the increase in beetle populations - a favoured treat for the bats during the breeding season.