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From Dracula to Batman, from flying mice entangling themselves in women's
hair to blood-sucking creatures of evil, bats have always had a big reputation
to live up to. Mysterious creatures glimpsed only at dusk they have remained
poorly understood, and even feared, for centuries. Only recently, are the
misunderstandings of the past being replaced by growing public interest.
Unfortunately, unless we act quickly, this newfound urge to understand may come
too late for many of Britain's bats. |
Where have all the bats gone?
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| Of the nine species of bat found in the Sheffield area, four have
restricted distributions. Do these represent their historic limits, or are
populations declining? On a national scale, alarm bells are ringing. 16 species
of bat are known to live and breed in Britain but, despite numbering amongst the
country's most protected animals, at least half are listed as being rare,
endangered or vulnerable. Efforts to accurately assess the extent of what
appears to be a catastrophic decline in bat numbers are being hampered by an
absence of historical data. Only during the past 30 years have technological
advances allowed us to unlock the secret lives of bats, and many recording
schemes are still in their infancy. But although many bat species are
under-recorded, there is also little doubt that many are now in danger of being
lost. |
200 years ago, an Italian scientist Spallanzani, found that bats could fly in
complete darkness - even through a room filled with tightly stretched threads. A
creature that appeared to make no sound was apparently dependant on its ears,
rather than its eyes, for navigation - a mystery that was to remain unsolved for
another 120 years.
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Dying of Ignorance.
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In 1991, the mouse-eared bat was pronounced to
be extinct in the UK - the first British mammal to be lost since the wolf 250
years earlier.
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We may not know exactly when the decline in bat numbers
began, but we can make a pretty shrewd guess as to why it is happening. Changing
land use, high intensity agricultural systems and ever-increasing development
are causing a widespread loss of feeding and roosting sites, detrimental to all
bats. Even species such as pipistrelle, which have adapted well to our
increasingly urban environment, are not safe. Sheffield's commonest bat is dying
of ignorance - our ignorance. Fond of roosting in buildings, loft conversions,
timber treatments and demolition work claim thousands of pipistrelle lives each
year. |
Conservation Action
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| Bats are in trouble but the picture is not all bleak.
Nation-wide, organisations such as English Nature, The Mammal Society and The
Bat Conservation Trust are working to develop and disseminate best practise for
bat conservation. Locally, the Sheffield Bat Group has been engaged in recording
bats and carrying out education programmes for the past 30 years. And, in autumn
1999, the Sheffield Wildlife Trust launched 'Bats Into BAPs', an exciting new
bat conservation project. Focusing on four woodlands in North Sheffield, we aim
to take forward the Local Biodiversity Plan for Pipistrelle, through a co-ordinated
programme of survey and habitat management. Run as part of the Trust's Community
Greenspaces and Wild Web 2000 programmes, community involvement is a central
feature of the project which aims to raise public awareness about bats and their
plight. |
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As part of the 'Bats into BAPs Project, we are looking for
volunteers to help us survey pipistrelle populations in north Sheffield,
throughout the summer. If you would like to be involved, or to know more, please
contact Chris on 2634335. No experience is necessary, all training and equipment
will be provided.
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The future of Britain's bats lies in our hands. The spread of
bat-friendly initiatives, on a local, regional and national level, is beginning
to change attitudes at all levels. Whether this is translated into practical
action in time to make a difference is up to us. If enough people play their
part, maybe, just maybe, the sun will continue to set on Britain's bats for some
time to come. |