One of the rarest bats in the UK may soon be extinct because of the “dramatic decline” in areas where whey can hunt for food, experts have warned.
Grey long-eared bats are under threat because of a reduction in lowland meadows and marshlands – the mammal’s main foraging habitats.
The Bat Conservation Trust warned there are only 1,000 of the rare bats left in the UK and their numbers are declining.
“The long-term survival of the grey long-eared bat UK population is closely linked to the conservation of these lowland meadows and marshland habitats," explained Dr Orly Razgour.
Grey long-eared bats are one of Britain's rarest mammals that live in the south coast of England, including the Isle of Wight, with a small number found in the Channel Islands. Experts have also found one of the mammals in South Wales.
They are traditionally a cave-dwelling species but have become dependent on buildings such as lofts or barns for roost sites.