Tierisch Wild - Urlaub am Nationalpark Bayerischer Wald

The Bat: SMALL SHADOWS OF THE NIGHT

We cannot hear it and rarely see it – the bat. For some, it is mysterious and sinister, for others it is fascinating and some cultures regard bats as bringers of good luck.

Whereas man is disorientated in complete darkness, this silent and unerring flight acrobat has no problems, thanks to well developed senses. As they feed exclusively on insects and spider, bats are very useful creatures. As their habitats have been reduced by the renovation of old buildings, removal of dead wood and the use of poisonous wood protection materials, all domestic species of these fascinating mammals have been a protected species since 1936.

The bat has adapted itself – it lives in roofs and holes in trees, in cracks in rocks and walls or even in shutter housings and behind exterior wall cladding. In these places they do no harm and their survival is dependent on us treating them as welcome ‘tenants’. In the National Park, bats take up residence in wooden boxes specially made for them as well as many holes in dead trees.