MONITORING OF BATS BEGINS
The administration of Kaunas Lagoon Regional Park has started to carry out the inventory of wintering bats in the territories designated for the protection of these mammals, mainly in the forts of Kaunas Fortress. These forts have long been recognized as one of the most important bat wintering grounds in Lithuania and are included in the Natura 2000 network of protected areas of international importance.
Of the bat species found in Lithuania, 7 have been registered in the Kaunas Lagoon Regional Park. Not all of them are equally abundant. Among the most common both in the park and in the country are the Daubenton's bat and the Nathusius' pipistrelle. The conditions for bats to live in this regional park during the warm season are really good, because various habitats are found here, there are wooded places near the water, and a lot of insects.
According to the specialists of Kaunas Lagoon Regional Park, if a few decades ago these thousands of animals gathered in Kaunas wintering grounds, their abundance has recently decreased. They were often disturbed by visitors to the forts. Last year, a lattice was installed in one of the forts to ensure that the sleep of animals that are particularly sensitive to disturbance during the winter is not disturbed by curious bipeds. Visits to bat wintering grounds (forts) are prohibited from October to the end of April.
It is gratifying that globally endangered bats are gaining more and more attention and recognition as a species that plays a vital ecological role. Contributing to this are their "lawyers" - naturalists who help dispel the myths about bats that have been formed over many centuries.
This year, Marius Čepulis, a very well-known "lawyer" of nature, joined the monitorings of bats in Kaunas Lagoon Regional Park.