or this issue of Bats Magazine, we have been given special permission to step out of our usual roles and write to you directly because we have some truly exciting news to share. As some of you may have seen across our social media channels already, we are pleased to announce that Bat Conservation International (BCI) has been able to secure the purchase of Brandon Hill Cave in Honduras to permanently protect it from development.

We wanted to thank everyone personally for their generosity and overwhelming response to this crisis, and to Rainforest Trust for the match funding they were able to provide. When we learned that Brandon Hill Cave and the surrounding land was under immediate threat of sale and development, it was clear that time was not on our side. However, the response was truly remarkable. The speed and scale of donations allowed us to move swiftly and decisively, completing the acquisition in record time before development interests could close in. Behind the scenes, this was a collaborative effort. Our communications and development teams worked tirelessly to tell the story of Brandon Hill, ensuring that the urgency of the situation never overshadowed the science or the long-term vision.

n the small Caribbean island of Utila, off the coast of Honduras, lies a bat cave of such significance that BCI took a rare step: buying the land it sits on to ensure its protection in perpetuity.

Brandon Hill Cave is a refuge for approximately 6,000 bats representing at least six of Utila’s 13 known bat species, including a small population of the Tomes’s sword-nosed bat (Lonchorhina aurita), also known as the common sword-nosed bat. Brandon Hill Cave is the only known reproductive site for this species in Honduras. Five additional species are also known to roost in the area surrounding the caves, which the Latin American and Caribbean Network for the Conservation of Bats (RELCOM) officially designated a Site of Importance for the Conservation of Bats (SICOM) in 2022.

ats in the air, fewer pests on the ground.”
“Bats: nocturnal allies.”
“Discover the power of bat friends.”
“Bats are not what you think!”

These are messages that BCI and Peruvian partners are spreading to children and adults alike, through an innovative new curriculum that is already changing attitudes towards bats and improving how people see them and the important ecosystem services they provide.

But come fall, Bracken—which is the largest known bat colony on Earth and the largest known gathering of mammals on Earth (with 20 million animals during peak season)—empties out. While scientists know that many of the bats, like birds, fly south for the winter, their precise migratory routes and winter roosting sites aren’t well known. A newly installed tower perched on the Bracken Cave Preserve landscape might contribute to solving the mystery.

Australia is famous for its wildlife, from kangaroos to koalas to kookaburras. But perhaps the country should have another ambassador, one with expressive brown eyes, velvety wings, and a talent for pollinating the rainforest—the Endangered spectacled flying fox (Pteropus conspicillatus). In the Atherton Tablelands of Queensland, the Tolga Bat Hospital makes this case every day.

Founder Jenny Mclean wasn’t originally a wildlife expert—she was a physical therapist—but felt compelled to support Australia’s native wildlife. An article in the local newspaper called for volunteers to care for baby flying foxes orphaned when their mothers succumbed to tick paralysis, and Mclean jumped at the opportunity. Armed with simple bat care instructions printed on a single sheet of paper, Mclean took two pups under her wing. The next year, she took four pups. The year after, six.

ndia’s 1.27 million square miles are home to 1.43 billion people–and are also home to 135 described species of bats, including 16 endemic species found nowhere else on Earth. Though the country has fewer than 50 bat researchers, this community, led by BCI and the Nature Conservation Foundation, teamed up to produce the first-ever State of India’s Bats (SoIBats) report, which will be released this year.

The report brings together researchers from 23 institutions to review the knowledge on India’s bats, assess threats, identify opportunities for research, and create a roadmap for bat conservation over the next decade. This is the first time this type of prioritization exercise has been conducted in India, following the North America State of the Bats Report that was released in 2023. Here are a few of India’s incredible bats.