For 21 long winters, Britain’s loneliest bat I hibernated alone in an abandoned railway tunnel in Sussex.
Male greater mouse-eared bat (Myositis) was the only known individual of its kind in the country after it was discovered in 2002 – a decade after the rare species was officially declared extinct.
But the elderly bat could finally find a mate if it only returns to its old haunts – an older female mouse-eared bat of reproductive age was discovered this month hibernating within the South Downs National Park.
Also found at Dover Castle was a second-larger mouse-eared bat – the largest of the British bat species, about the size of a small rabbit, with a wingspan in flight that extends to nearly half a metre.
Daniel Whitby, ecologist and founder of the Bat Society, said: “Finding a female is a rewarding and wonderful discovery, and brings great hope for this species.” save And the research unit. This is the first discovery of a female greater mouse-eared bat in Britain since the 1980s.
The Sussex female was carefully ringed so she could be identified in the future. They were found to be young and of breeding age, although it is not known with certainty whether they have reproduced yet.
There is now a tense wait to see if the lone old male will return to the area. This individual was discovered, motionless, overwintering in 2002. He flew every summer, destination unknown, but, remarkably, he kept returning to his favorite railway tunnel every winter for nearly two decades.
The elusive creature disappeared in 2019 and remained missing for two years, presumed dead, but delighting bat enthusiasts who spotted it through bat monitoring. To reappear in the hibernation tunnel in 2022 And 2023. It crashed again last winter.
“It would be great if he showed up, but it’s definitely getting a little better,” said ecologist Nick Gray. Sussex Bat Collection. “The female is not an old bat, so there is a good chance she has reproduced and will reproduce again in the future.”
When the greater mouse-eared bat was declared extinct in 1992, it was the first land mammal to disappear from Britain since the disappearance of the wolf some 250 years earlier.
Now the warm climate and proliferation of vineyards in south-east England may be helping the species, which in France enjoys foraging among vineyards.
Unlike other bats that zigzag through the sky collecting insects, this species descends to the ground, swooping down on grasshoppers, crickets and dung beetles. Often, it will flop to the ground, extending its wings to drape over its prey.
Help is being provided to the species through a project he leads Vincent Wildlife Trust (VWT) and funded by Natural England’s Species Recovery Team, for Create and strengthen roots The area is home to some of Britain’s rarest bats, including the greater mouse-eared bat.
Daniel Hargreaves, Director of the VWT’s Bat Program, said: “The absence of the old male was the final nail in the coffin for this species in Britain, but this new discovery raises hope once again that a mammal that has been declared extinct can make a comeback.” “The single male that has been hanging around since 2002 has not been seen since 2023 – but we can only hope that more individuals will be discovered and a viable population will be established.
“By providing suitable roosts, restoring habitat and reducing human threats such as artificial light and noise, this species may have a chance to recover.”
The greater mouse-eared bat was never a common species in Britain. When a colony was discovered in 1957 on the Isle of Purbeck, a peninsula in Dorset, it caused a sensation. The photos were published in The Times and many of the animals were brought out of their hibernation to be photographed in television studios. Disturbing the bats mid-hibernation resulted in some being killed and others being turned away by collectors.
The location where the female was found has not been revealed, but it is home to 11 different species of hibernating bats, and is one of the only places in Britain where these bats are rare. Alkatho Bats are found in a hibernating state. Gray added: “There is no doubt that the site is of national importance and we are very fortunate to have it here within the South Downs National Park.”
