Mission 1

Endangered Species Interventions

Finding this Critically Endangered bat in one of Africa’s oldest rainforests has been one of the highlights of my career. But finding it is only a start in figuring out how to best save it.”

—Dr. Jon Flanders Director of Endangered Species Interventions

Hill’s horseshoe bat
(Rhinolophus hilli)
Photo by Dr. Jon Flanders

Lost for 40 Years—an Elusive Species is Found

In the vast, mountainous rainforest of Nyungwe National Park in Central Africa, a small single bat is found in a mist net. After catching the bat, Bat Conservation International’s (BCI) scientists could record their echolocation calls.

Two years later, by comparing morphological measurements and tissue samples from international museums and engaging world-renowned bat experts in the review process, the small bat was scientifically confirmed to be the elusive, Critically Endangered Hill’s horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hilli)—a species that had not been seen since 1981.

Rediscovery of the Hill’s horseshoe bat is a testament to tenacity, BCI’s commitment to account for all endangered bat species, and in-country partners’ determination to ensure the work was able to get done.

Acoustic monitoring in the dense and vast Rwandan rainforest continues to be key to locating Hill’s horseshoe bats.
Photo from Getty Images

Mission 1

Endangered Species Interventions

mountain top with clouds and fog rolling over the top

Acoustic monitoring in the dense and vast Rwandan rainforest continues to be key to locating Hill’s horseshoe bats.
Photo from Getty Images

Lost for 40 Years—an Elusive Species is Found

In the vast, mountainous rainforest of Nyungwe National Park in Central Africa, a small single bat is found in a mist net. After catching the bat, Bat Conservation International’s (BCI) scientists could record their echolocation calls.

Two years later, by comparing morphological measurements and tissue samples from international museums and engaging world-renowned bat experts in the review process, the small bat was scientifically confirmed to be the elusive, Critically Endangered Hill’s horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hilli)—a species that had not been seen since 1981.

Rediscovery of the Hill’s horseshoe bat is a testament to tenacity, BCI’s commitment to account for all endangered bat species, and in-country partners’ determination to ensure the work was able to get done.

Finding this Critically Endangered bat in one of Africa’s oldest rainforests has been one of the highlights of my career. But finding it is only a start in figuring out how to best save it.”

—Dr. Jon Flanders Director of Endangered Species Interventions

Hill’s horseshoe bat
(Rhinolophus hilli)
Photo by Dr. Jon Flanders

scientists doing research together in the woods

BCI scientists work with colleagues from Rwanda and Kenya to inventory bat species.
Photo by Dr. Jon Flanders

Background photo: Nyungwe National Park is biodiverse with more than 1,000 plant species and 75 known mammal species, including the Hill’s horseshoe bat.
Photo: iStock.com/Yaroslav Astakhov

Patience and Planning Net Long-Lost Species

In 2013, BCI committed to finding the Hill’s horseshoe bat and began working with the Rwanda Development Board and Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association. Park rangers assisted in identifying potential cave roosts to survey.

In 2019, a 10-day expedition to Nyungwe National Park netted a bat that seemed to be the extremely rare bat they had been working to find. Carefully, the bat was documented, and audio recordings were collected to begin scientific confirmation.

In 2022, a multi-national team led by BCI announced the confirmed rediscovered bat and published records of the discovery in a dataset shared openly with the public through the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Since the discovery, park rangers have conducted acoustic surveys in 23 locations, recording over 250,000 sound files. Analysis of the sound files pinpoints Hill’s horseshoe bats in eight locations, all within a small area in Nyungwe National Park.

Patience and Planning Net Long-Lost Species

In 2013, BCI committed to finding the Hill’s horseshoe bat and began working with the Rwanda Development Board and Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association. Park rangers assisted in identifying potential cave roosts to survey.

In 2019, a 10-day expedition to Nyungwe National Park netted a bat that seemed to be the extremely rare bat they had been working to find. Carefully, the bat was documented, and audio recordings were collected to begin scientific confirmation.

In 2022, a multi-national team led by BCI announced the confirmed rediscovered bat and published records of the discovery in a dataset shared openly with the public through the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Since the discovery, park rangers have conducted acoustic surveys in 23 locations, recording over 250,000 sound files. Analysis of the sound files pinpoints Hill’s horseshoe bats in eight locations, all within a small area in Nyungwe National Park.

BCI scientists work with colleagues from Rwanda and Kenya to inventory bat species.
Photo by Dr. Jon Flanders

Nyungwe National Park is biodiverse with more than 1,000 plant species and 75 known mammal species, including the Hill’s horseshoe bat.
Photo: iStock.com/Yaroslav Astakhov

Saving the Rarest Bat in the United States

BCI is on a mission to save the Florida bonneted bat (Eumops floridanus). As part of BCI’s collaboration with Zoo Miami, team members have dedicated themselves to protecting Florida bonneted bats in urban settings and implementing tactics to help the species recover. Team members continue to create research initiatives and apply conservation management efforts across South Florida.

Some notable accomplishments in FY22 include:

Cohosting a Florida bonneted bat group meeting with Zoo Miami to coordinate conservation efforts. More than 80 representatives from federal and state agencies, tribal nations, utilities, and conservation organizations attended.
Installing seven additional special-designed artificial roosts in areas of high bat activity.
Increasing the total known population of Florida bonneted bats in Miami to 130 individuals, an increase of 44 bats.
Conducting 41 Florida bonneted bat surveys in southwest Florida to identify priority areas for conservation.

Staying vigilant: BCI continues to work with partners to oppose a theme park development proposal on 27.5 acres of land identified as one of the most important bat foraging areas within Miami-Dade County.

The Florida bonneted bat is a federally endangered species found nowhere in the world but in southern Florida.

Background photo: Bat boxes specially designed for the Federally Endangered Florida bonneted bats provide a safe haven for these rare bats in urban habitats.
Photo by Javier Folgar

Florida bonneted bat
(Eumops floridanus)
Photo by Micaela Jemsion

Bat boxes specially designed for the Federally Endangered Florida bonneted bats provide a safe haven for these rare bats in urban habitats.
Photo by Javier Folgar

Saving the Rarest Bat in the United States

BCI is on a mission to save the Florida bonneted bat (Eumops floridanus). As part of BCI’s collaboration with Zoo Miami, team members have dedicated themselves to protecting Florida bonneted bats in urban settings and implementing tactics to help the species recover. Team members continue to create research initiatives and apply conservation management efforts across South Florida.

Some notable accomplishments in FY22 include:

Cohosting a Florida bonneted bat group meeting with Zoo Miami to coordinate conservation efforts. More than 80 representatives from federal and state agencies, tribal nations, utilities, and conservation organizations attended.
Installing seven additional special-designed artificial roosts in areas of high bat activity.
Increasing the total known population of Florida bonneted bats in Miami to 130 individuals, an increase of 44 bats.
Conducting 41 Florida bonneted bat surveys in southwest Florida to identify priority areas for conservation.

Staying vigilant: BCI continues to work with partners to oppose a theme park development proposal on 27.5 acres of land identified as one of the most important bat foraging areas within Miami-Dade County.

The Florida bonneted bat is a federally endangered species found nowhere in the world but in southern Florida.

Florida bonneted bat
(Eumops floridanus)
Photo by Micaela Jemsion

Endangered Species Interventions Around the World

Fewer than 1,200 Critically Endangered Livingstone’s fruit bats (Pteropus livingstonii) remain on the islands of Anjouan and Moheli, part of the Comoros islands off the coast of Madagascar. Our accomplishments in FY22 included the following:

Tagging 10 Livingstone bats with GPS trackers
Identifying feeding tree species and potential feeding sites in Comoros
Training an in-country team in research and data collection procedures

Survival of the only known maternity colony of Critically Endangered Jamaican Flower Bats (Phyllonycteris aphylla) rests in Jamaica’s Stony Hill Cave—a cave that, until recently, was threatened by development above it. Our work in FY22 included:

Completing the purchase of the land containing the cave entrance, ensuring it did not fall into the hands of developers
Working with Jamaican authorities to establish long-term protection for the site

Livingstone’s fruit bat
(Pteropus livingstonii)
Photo by Dr. Jon Flanders

Jamaican flower bat
(Phyllonycteris aphylla)
Photo by Sherri & Brock Fenton

Photo: iStock.com/Insularis

aerial view of a forest surrounded by water

Photo: iStock.com/Insularis

Endangered Species Interventions Around the World

Fewer than 1,200 Critically Endangered Livingstone’s fruit bats (Pteropus livingstonii) remain on the islands of Anjouan and Moheli, part of the Comoros islands off the coast of Madagascar. Our accomplishments in FY22 included the following:

Tagging 10 Livingstone bats with GPS trackers
Identifying feeding tree species and potential feeding sites in Comoros
Training an in-country team in research and data collection procedures

Livingstone’s fruit bat
(Pteropus livingstonii)
Photo by Dr. Jon Flanders

Survival of the only known maternity colony of Critically Endangered Jamaican Flower Bats (Phyllonycteris aphylla) rests in Jamaica’s Stony Hill Cave—a cave that, until recently, was threatened by development above it. Our work in FY22 included:

Completing the purchase of the land containing the cave entrance, ensuring it did not fall into the hands of developers
Working with Jamaican authorities to establish long-term protection for the site

Jamaican flower bat
(Phyllonycteris aphylla)
Photo by Sherri & Brock Fenton

BCI teams carry out detailed surveys of caves to better understand how roosts can be protected.
Photo by Dr. Jon Flanders

Protecting Vital Roosts

Survival of Endangered Mexican long-nosed bats (Leptonycteris nivalis) depends on protecting Cueva de Oztuyehualco (formerly known as Cueva del Diablo), the bats’ only known mating roost, and assuring that pregnant females have the sustenance they need from blooming agaves to complete their migratory flights to give birth.

In addition to planting thousands of agaves across northeast Mexico and the southwestern U.S., BCI’s intervention work involved:

Using high-tech LiDAR imaging to map Cueva de Oztuyehualco, located in the foothills near Mexico City
Fusing LiDAR data with high-resolution digital elevation and habitat models, achieved through drone-assisted photography
Providing decision-making authorities with necessarily sophisticated renderings to preserve the mating roost

Protecting Vital Roosts

Survival of Endangered Mexican long-nosed bats (Leptonycteris nivalis) depends on protecting Cueva de Oztuyehualco (formerly known as Cueva del Diablo), the bats’ only known mating roost, and assuring that pregnant females have the sustenance they need from blooming agaves to complete their migratory flights to give birth.

In addition to planting thousands of agaves across northeast Mexico and the southwestern U.S., BCI’s intervention work involved:

Using high-tech LiDAR imaging to map Cueva de Oztuyehualco, located in the foothills near Mexico City
Fusing LiDAR data with high-resolution digital elevation and habitat models, achieved through drone-assisted photography
Providing decision-making authorities with necessarily sophisticated renderings to preserve the mating roost

BCI teams carry out detailed surveys of caves to better understand how roosts can be protected.
Photo by Dr. Jon Flanders

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