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Rare greater mouse-eared bat discovered at Dover Castle

There is hope for one of the country’s rarest species after a giant bat was found at a Kent landmark for the first time in 40 years.

The female greater mouse-eared bat, described as looking like it had “overdone it at the gym and taken too many steroids”, was discovered in Dover Castle last month.

The greater mouse-eared bat was found at Dover Castle. Picture: Caitlin Laver
The greater mouse-eared bat was found at Dover Castle. Picture: Caitlin Laver

From 2002 till 2023, only one male had ever been found in the UK, hibernating through winter in a disused Sussex railway tunnel.

He was nicknamed the UK’s loneliest bat, but another - whose gender is unknown - joined him to the delight of experts.

Now, two more of the mammals have been found in the past month.

The first - an adult breeding female - was spotted on January 18 by members of Sussex Bat Group in the same tunnels the once-lonely male was seen in.

The week after, members of South East Ecology and Kent Bat Group found another.

A greater mouse-eared bat was discovered at Dover Castle. Picture: English Heritage
A greater mouse-eared bat was discovered at Dover Castle. Picture: English Heritage

Principal ecologist Claire Munn - who found the winged creature - has been monitoring heritage sites for bats in Dover Castle since 2018.

It is the first time the species has been seen in the county for 40 years.

Ms Munn said: “I was leading a team of fellow volunteers for our regular hibernation surveys.

“We were gobsmacked to find a very large bat, which looked somewhat like a Natterer’s that had overdone it at the gym and taken too many steroids.

“ID books at the ready, we surmised it was probably a greater mouse-eared bat.

Another bat was found in January by experts in a Sussex tunnel. Picture: Daniel Whitby
Another bat was found in January by experts in a Sussex tunnel. Picture: Daniel Whitby

“We have since had that confirmed.

“It’s fascinating to think that I may be looking at a bat descended from a bat that WWII soldiers were looking at, or indeed that Henry VIII may have seen.”

The greater mouse-eared bat is found across most of Europe and often roosts in caves, mines and cultural buildings.

It forages in forest clearings and semi-open areas, mainly hunting ground beetles and has an average life span of three to five years.

The Bat Conservation Trust reports the bat may have migrated from the continent, but it’s possible it has been secretly living in Britain for a long time.

Kit Stoner, CEO of the charity, said: “This exciting discovery highlights the vital work of our wonderful citizen science bat conservation volunteers and the important work of bat groups.

“Let’s hope with more monitoring we can continue to learn about this species.

“I hope to see this species re-establishing a population and a new beginning in England.”

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