FOUR of the UK’s rarest bats have been found in privately-owned woodland near Minety.

The Bechstein’s, Barbastelle, Lesser and Greater Horseshoe bats were found in the Braydon Forest in north Wiltshire during radio tracking surveys carried out jointly by the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust and the Cotswold Water Park Society’s CWP Bat Initiative.

Over four nights they spent many hours setting up equipment, catching bats, fitting radio tags and tracking them.

Then used special recording equipment to help identify bats which otherwise would have remained undetected.

Gareth Harris, biodiversity officer of the CWP Society, said: “These four bats are listed on the IUCN Red List and are the only bats in the UK to have European-level protection, so to find them all together in one wood is deeply impressive.”

It is estimated that there are only 1,500 Bechstein’s in the UK.

A total of 13 bat species were discovered feeding in the wood (out of 18 that breed in the UK) – the full quota of bats known to live in Wiltshire.

The Cotswold Water Park Bat Initiative was launched in 2005 to promote the study of bats across the CWP, supported by a large number of local volunteers who have completed vast numbers of surveys, monitored numerous roost sites, spent many nights radio tracking them and constructed new roosts designed specifically for bats.

If you do know of any bat populations contact Paul Darby on 01380 725670 ext. 237, or email pdarby@wiltshirewildlife.org.