Bat Conservation Trust. BATS. Bats. Advice and legislation relating to bats. Lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros) © John Black Legal protection All species of bat and their breeding sites or resting places (roosts) are protected under Regulation 41 of The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010 and Section 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 .
It is an offence for anyone intentionally to kill, injure or handle a bat, to possess a bat (whether live or dead), disturb a roosting bat, or sell or offer a bat for sale without a licence. More information on European Protected Species Advice and leaflets Specific licensing guidance is included below in 'Licences and how to apply' next to the relevant application form Licences and how to apply Licences for activities prohibited under wildlife legislation are only issued for specific purposes, where there is valid justification. Otherwise please apply for an individual tailored licence, each form below explains what you must provide. Mitigation licences. Science/Nature | British bats battle threats. UK conservationists say many British bat species are facing serious trouble. Their roosting places are often damaged or destroyed, either by accident or deliberately, and the insects they eat are also in decline. Scientists say bats constitute one-third of the UK's total number of land-based mammal species.
Two conservation groups, the Woodland Trust and the Bat Conservation Trust, are working to raise awareness of the animals' plight. They say two of the 16 species found here are classed as endangered, with nine others threatened, despite the existence of UK and European legislation designed to protect them. The Mammal Society says: "Populations of the 14 species which breed in Britain have all declined in recent decades. Road to oblivion "Pipistrelle numbers fell by 60% between 1978 and 1986. The last mammal to have become extinct in the UK before 1991 is thought to have been the wolf, wiped out more than 250 years ago.
Knowledge gaps Some bat species have been drastically reduced. The Bats of Britain. Our Beacon for Bats. Safeguarding lesser horseshoe bats in the upper Usk Valley The Trust has just completed a three-year Our Beacon for Bats project, funded by the Brecon Beacons Trust, Heritage Lottery Fund and Natural Resources Wales. The project focused on the the Usk Valley in South Wales, from Brecon to Crickhowell, which has one of the most significant populations of lesser horseshoe bats in Europe, and where the Trust manages five lesser horseshoe bat maternity roosts. The project contributed to long-term conservation of the lesser horseshoe bat by improving understanding of the importance of local landscape features; planting and restoring hedgerows to improve connectivity of bat foraging routes; enhancing lime kilns and pill boxes as suitable bat roosting sites; designing and trialling a night roost for bats; training volunteers in bat detection and survey techniques; educating school children and raising awareness of bats within the local community.
Bat Webcam.