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An “Olympic bat” the size of a human thumb has managed to fly over 1,200 miles from London to Russia – only to be killed by a cat.
Nathusius’s pipistrelle bat had been injured by the feline when it was found on the ground by a resident of the small Russian village of Molgino in the Pskov region.
She weighed just 8 grams (0.28 ounces) and was rescued by a Russian bat rehabilitation group, but later died from her injuries, according to the UK’s Bat Conservation Trust.
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Nathusius pipistrelle bat (Pipistrellus nathusii), Europe. (Photo by: Arterra / Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
When found, the bat bore the inscription “London Zoo” – a testament to its 1,254 mile journey. The bat had been ringed at Bedfont Lakes Country Park in 2016 near Heathrow, west London, by Brian Briggs, a bat logger.
“It’s very exciting. It’s great to be able to contribute to international conservation work to protect these amazing animals and learn more about their fascinating lives,” said Briggs.
The trip was one of the longest bat trips known in the world, Britain’s known record across Europe, and the only long-distance movement recorded “like this” from west to east, according to a press release released last Thursday by the Bat Conservation Trust. .
Most of the previous recordings were of males that flew southwest from Latvia. The record was broken by only one other bat in Europe, a Nathusius’ pipistrelle, which migrated 1,381 miles from Latvia to Spain in 2019.
“This is a remarkable and longest trip that we have ever seen of any British bats across Europe. What an Olympian!” said Lisa Worledge, head of conservation services at the Bat Conservation Trust.
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“His journey is an exciting scientific discovery and another piece of the bat migration puzzle,” Worledge added. “The movements of Nathusius’s pipistrelles around the UK and between the UK and the mainland remain largely a mystery.”
Bat experts in Russia and the UK are working together to better understand the bat’s journey, noting that the range expansion of Nathusius’s Pipistrelle is linked to climate change. Although more information is needed to fully understand these effects, the statement said.
The travel route of Nathusius’s Pipistrelle – which needs suitable habitat as a migratory species – could also be affected by wind turbines, both onshore and offshore.
“Better knowledge can help inform the positioning and management of wind turbines to reduce risk,” the statement added.
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Over 2,600 Nathusius ‘Pipistrelle have been recorded in the UK since the launch of the National Nathusius’ Pipistrelle Project in 2014. The project aims to shed light on their breeding, distribution and migration behaviors.
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