Predation by cats is one of the causes behind the decline of the long-tailed bat

Causes of decline are combinations of:

• Clearance and logging of lowland forests
• Cutting of old-age trees for fire wood
• Predation by introduced animals such as cats, possums, rats, and stoats
• Exclusion of bats from roosts by introduced mammals, birds, wasps, and human interference.

South Canterbury long-tailed bat threats

• Felling of old-aged, cavity-bearing trees used for breeding;
• Clearing of native vegetation, particularly kanuka shrublands, that are important for feeding and roosting;
• Clearing of willows over sheltered feeding ponds along river margins.

1080 poison helps native bats

New Zealand's bats are rapidly heading towards extinction caused by rat plagues.

In this video Dr Colin O'Donnell explains how biodegradable 1080 poison protects bats on a scale unmatched by rat trapping.