A bat travelled a record-breaking 2,000 km, only to die after cat attack in Russia: researchers

TORONTO —
An “Olympic” bat that broke the record for longest-recorded migration from the U.K. recently died following an altercation with a Russian cat.

The tiny female Nathusius’ pipistrelle bat – nicknamed “Olympic bat” — weighed just eight grams but managed to travel 2,018 kilometres from where it was first tagged near England’s Heathrow Airport to where it was recently found in the village of Molgino in western Russia.

This is the furthest-known bat migration from Britain across Europe and the only recording of such a distance from East to West. It is the second-longest overall recorded bat migration, topped only by a 2,224-kilometre voyage from Latvia to Spain in 2019.

In a statement, the U.K.-based Bat Conservation Trust called it “one of the greatest ever known flights by a bat.”

“This is very exciting,” said bat recorder Brian Briggs. “It’s great to be able to contribute to the international conservation work to protect these extraordinary animals and learn more about their fascinating lives.”

The news isn’t all positive, however, as the bat was only discovered because it was injured in a suspected attack from a cat. It was sent to a rehabilitation group in Russia, but later died.

Experts in Russia and the U.K, are now studying how climate change affects the migration patterns of these bats.