One of the UK's rarest mammals, a grey long-eared bat, has been rescued from the stormy weather at Carisbrooke Castle.
English Heritage staff at the site spotted the bat clinging to the gravel pavement and quickly made efforts to rescue and shelter it from the wind.
It was then taken to the Isle of Wight Bat Hospital for further care.
The castle has more species of bat known to be roosting in summer than any other site in southern England. There are fifteen species of bat in Britain and nine species have been recorded at the castle.
The Grey Long-eared bat which is rare in Britain - is found only in southern counties of England – particularly the Isle of Wight.
The rarity of the mammal is comparable to that of the Scottish Wildcat, and they are particularly hard to detect as, in contrast to other bat species, rather than solely relying on echolocation signals when hunting for food, they use their long ears to listen out for the sounds of insects stepping on leaves.
Hannah Brewer, Stables Manager at Carisbrooke Castle who was involved in the rescue said:
“We’re all so pleased that our team members spotted the tiny creature, and that we could rescue it from the 60mph winds that raged across the island last week. To find out that the little one is one of the rarest mammals in the UK is incredible. At English Heritage not only do we care for some of the most historically important places in England, but, by doing so, we also care for incredible wildlife that is intrinsically linked to England’s story.”
The animal has just been re-released back at the castle and it is hoped that the find indicates a further female roost.
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