Scientists are urging the government of Malaysia to ban the hunting of the world's largest fruit bat, reports BBC.

Researchers say the large flying fox will be wiped out on the Malaysian peninsula if the current unsustainable level of hunting continues.

Writing in the Journal of Applied Ecology they say around 22,000 of the animals are legally hunted each year and more killed illegally. They say the species could be extinct there by as early as 2015.

Flying foxes can have a wingspan of up to 1.5m and are crucial for the rainforest ecosystems in this part of Asia.

Lead author, Dr Jonathan Epstein of Wildlife Trust, told BBC News: "They eat fruit and nectar and in doing so they drop seeds around and pollinate trees. So they are critical to the propagation of rainforest plants."

The most optimistic estimates put the population of flying foxes in peninsular Malaysia at 500,000.

The animals are hunted for food, medicine and sport. Shooting takes place at dusk as the bats set out to forage overnight.

The researchers say their population models suggest that if current hunting rates continue it will take between six and 81 years for the species to be hunted to extinction.

The research team carried out abundance surveys and collected government data on hunting licences.

The scientists used a computer model to predict the fate of the species according to varying rates of kill and a range of current population estimates.

This was the first time satellite telemetry has been used to track bats in Asia. The method is often used to track birds but is more rarely used to study mammals.

The researchers trapped individual bats and fastened collars round their necks before releasing them.