Mammal thought to be extinct discovered in South Downs National Park

A greater mouse-eared bat was uncovered on January 18, hibernating within the South Downs National Park - the first sighting of a female of the species in the wild since the 1980s.

Bat ecologist Daniel Whitby said: “Having surveyed this area persistently since the first discovery of a greater mouse-eared in 2002, the finding of a female is rewarding and a remarkable discovery which brings huge hope for this species."

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The greater mouse-eared bat, known by its Latin name as Myotis myotis, was declared extinct in the UK in 1992 following decades of decline.

In 2002, however, a single male was discovered hibernating in disused railway tunnels in Sussex.

The male was only ever found alone and so became known as "Britain’s rarest mammal and the loneliest soul in Britain".

During monitoring surveys in January 2023, members of Sussex Bat Group were astonished to find a second greater mouse-eared bat hibernating in the same area. 

A greater mouse eared bat has been discovered in Sussex.  (Image: Daniel Whitby) Since these sightings, a team of experts has been monitoring and surveying to look for any  further individuals of this species, but with no further sightings in 2024, the species was thought to have said a final farewell to Britain.

The bat found this year was positively identified, examined and found to be an adult breeding female.

Conservationists have ringed this bat to be able to identify it in future monitoring and research surveys for this rare species.

This is the first identification of a new female greater mouse-eared bat in the wild since the 1980s.

A network of bat conservationists, including BatCRU, Vincent Wildlife Trust and Sussex  Bat Group, are continuing to monitor and survey the area for more individuals and roosts in the hope of finding an established breeding population in Britain.  

Daniel Hargreaves, Bat Programme Manager for Vincent Wildlife Trust, said: “Finding a female greater mouse-eared bat in Britain is fantastic news, and I feel privileged to have witnessed it first-hand.

"In a sad twist of fate, the lonely male who hung around since 2002 hasn’t been seen  since 2023 — but we can only hope further individuals are discovered and that a viable  population is formed.

"The absence of the old male felt like the final nail in the coffin for this species in Britain, but this new discovery once again sparks hope that a mammal declared extinct could bounce back."  

Nick Gray from Sussex Bat Group, said: “It is so exciting to discover these rare animals at this site, where eleven different species of bat have now been confirmed to hibernate.

"The site is undoubtably of national significance and we are so lucky to have it here within the South Downs National Park.”