Show Notes
S5E48 Jersey Zoo in the Channel Islands is home to 90% of the world's captive population of Livingstone's fruit bats. With an estimated 1300 in the wild, this captive breeding programme is vital to the survival of the species in a disaster event. We join Dominic Wormell inside the bat enclosure as he explains how they care for the colony and how the bats are received by the visiting public. Discover more about the colony here Have a listen to our other zoo episode from Chester Zoo More about ...
More from BatChat
In this final episode of Series 7 of BatChat, we go out on a unique paddling journey along the River Great Ouse with the Bedfordshire Bat Group and the Viking Kayak Club. Bob Cornes from the bat group explains how the survey came about and as we embrace the peacefulness of the river we discuss bat behaviours in their environments. The episode showcases community-driven conservation efforts, emphasising the significance of grassroots initiatives in bat conservation. As well as recording ...
S7E76 In this episode of BatChat, we explore bat conservation with experts Megan Price and Beth from Margam Park in South Wales. They share insights on the park's rich biodiversity, highlighting the fourteen bat species present and the importance of managing roosts while balancing conservation efforts with public access. Watch a short video of the bats at Margam Park A short article on the bats of Margam In the second half of the episode Dr. Briony Hughes from Royal Holloway University ...
In this episode, we chat with Emeritus Professor Paul Racey, one of the best-known figures in bat ecology and conservation. Paul talks about how his interest in bats began when he was at school, watching dusk fall and becoming curious about the animals that emerge after dark. He shares how early teachers, university life, and time in the field helped shape what became a lifelong career. We look back over Paul’s many years of work, including his role in helping to establish the Bat Conservatio...
In this episode of BatChat, we explore the significant roost of greater horseshoe bats on the National Trust's Stackpole estate in Pembrokeshire, Wales. With insights from conservationists Maggie Andrews and Paul Culyer, we discuss the site’s impressive growth from 200 bats in 1994 to over a thousand today. Paul recounts the early discovery of the maternity roost, while Maggie shares her late husband's innovative work with bat detectors that has contributed to over three decades of data. We d...
Steve Page from the Hampshire Bat Group is the custodian of Andrew Watson's Holgate Bat Detector, one of the first commercially available bat detectors which was developed in the 1960s. Steve built his own bat detector which kick-started his journey into bat conservation, joining the Hampshire Bat Group which led him to discovering the Holgate Detector. He's currently working to get it restored to a fully working condition and we join him in his workshop as he talks us through the components....