Small bat flies 1,250 miles, gets eaten by cat

Some bats are known for their long flights, but not everyone appreciates their Olympic-worthy migratory marathon. The U.K. Bat Conservation Trust recently described a 1,250-mile journey they tracked of an individual Nathusius’ pipistrelle (Pipistrellus nathusii) that flew from near London’s Heathrow Airport to the Pskov region in northwestern Russia. The trust tagged the bat with a ring for identification in 2016, and it was later found in Russia. “This is a remarkable journey and the longest one we know of any bat from Britain across Europe,” Lisa Worledge, head of conservation services at the Bat Conservation Trust, told the Associated Press. “What an Olympian!’’ The bat was then attacked by a cat in Russia, despite efforts by conservationists there to save the individual. While the journey is epic, the record goes to another Nathasius’ bat that flew 1,382 miles from Latvia to Spain in 2019. The range of these bats may be increasing due to climate change.

Read more at The Associated Press.