The Makira flying fox is known from Makira and nearby satellite islands in the Solomon Islands. Local interviews have also documented human uses.
The study reports that its canine teeth are smaller than those of P. tonganus, which also occurs on Makira.
Residents on Makira reported eating both P. cognatus and P. tonganus. The smaller canines of P. cognatus are harder to drill for customary tooth ornaments, so P. tonganus is more useful for that purpose.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.