The annual national census of bats is nearing its completion, with  reports from the Suwalski Landscape Park and Protected Area showing that the number of bats wintering there has risen from 37 in 2007 to 131.

Researchers found representatives of four species:  mostly Daubenton’s bat, as well as the brown long-eared bat, barbastelle and northern bat.

This year’s count was made difficult because of the high snows and bad weather, meaning that many of the places where the bats winter were snowed-in.

Last year, the Landscape Park authorities had put up 50 roosting boxes in the forest and, before the winter, readied a number of caves for the bats.

The park is also home to several other species of bat which spend the summer in Poland but fly away for the winter, and boasts one of the only two colonies of pond bats in Poland. Altogether, there are 22 species of bats native to Poland. All have protected status. (ek/jb)

Source: PAP