Rare bat found during Hibernation surveys

The East Lancashire Bat Group have begun surveys of potential bat hibernation sites and have already discovered one rare bat.

 A Lesser Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros), a cave dwelling bat thought to be found only in Wales and South west England, has been discovered during a preliminary survey of potential hibernation sites. Historic distribution of this bat included Lancashire and Yorkshire with the last known records dating back to the 1890's.

We are now awaiting colder weather to confirm that this individual is from a residual population that has managed to remain undetected for over 100 years.