Egyptian fruit bat
Closed in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, work is underway to reopen the attraction with around 30 Egyptian fruit bats from 15 February.
Simon Askew, Interim Chief Operating Officer, said: “We have regularly heard from guests that they missed the bat cave, after we took the difficult decision to close it. The views of our visitors and our keepers are so important to helping us shape our approach to ensuring conservation and education is at the heart of what we do.
“Having had the opportunity to upgrade the previous bat habitat, we are delighted to be bringing it back in early 2025.”
Darren Beasley, Head of Animal operations, said: “While the Egyptian fruit bat is currently classified as near threatened, it means it is likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future.
“This species uses echolocation – detecting sound waves – to navigate and identify the flying insects they eat. They are the only type of bat who can be heard clearly by people.
“These bats are amazing ambassadors for the native species in the UK. All the keepers are excited about continuing to engage with visitors about bats and their vital importance to the ecosystem so together we can dispel so many myths that seem to have developed regarding their behaviours,” he added.
Chico and Truffles, Longleat’s two-toed Sloths, will move into the same area from Animal Adventure.
The native range of the Egyptian fruit bat is Africa and the Middle East, naturally occurring in both valley and mountainous areas where they find shelter in caves, rock crevices and date plantations. They were originally discovered in Egypt in 1810 roosting in the pyramids of Giza.
Across the world, bats are heavily persecuted due to fictional associations with evil, yet they play an important part in ecosystems.
Bats are responsible for pollinating trees, flowers, and cacti. They spread seeds so plants grow in new areas. Bats pollinate avocados, bananas, breadfruit, dates, figs, mangos, and peaches. These remarkable mammals live together by the millions, and each can eat half its weight in insects a night, so they are great at controlling large numbers of pests that harm crops and spread disease.
