By ANNE BESTON
An embattled, tiny colony of New Zealand's native bats has survived every disaster life could throw at it but now it needs help.
The Tararua Forest Park bats, all 200 of them, have been marooned by glaciers, blasted by volcanic eruption and hemmed in by farming over the
past 90,000 years.
But they have held on, albeit in drastically reduced numbers - other short-tailed bat colonies in New Zealand number 6000-plus animals.
The Department of Conservation is preparing a predator control programme around the colony, baiting and trapping for stoats, cats and possums.
The department is also looking at other sites around the country to establish populations. But bats do not like moving.
"We had one attempt but they disappeared," said DoC scientist Brian Lloyd.
"We think because they were adults they somehow tried to fly home, even though that was 40km away."
This time young animals will be used, the theory being that their homing instinct will not be as well-developed.
New homes being considered are Kapiti Island and areas at Mt Bruce Wildlife Centre near Masterton.
Mr Lloyd said bats were a fascinating species and the Tararua park bats, members of the endangered lesser short-tailed bat (Mystacina tuberculata), were the only population in the south of the North Island.
The greater short-tailed bat, found on two islands off Stewart Island, was last sighted in 1967 and is probably extinct due to an invasion of ship rats.
The lesser short-tailed bat is a category A endangered species and fully protected.
They weigh 12-15gm, have large pointed ears and, while they will eat just about anything, that does not include blood.
The short-tailed bat has adapted to ground-hunting, unlike its European cousins, which catch their prey in the air.
Female short-tailed bats put their young together in a warm "creche" - the hollow of a tree - while they forage for food.
Male bats sing to attract a mate and females seek out the best high-pitched warblers.
Department of Conservation
Further reading
nzherald.co.nz/environment
