Researchers are hoping the public can help the province’s bat population rebound.
Six years ago, white-nose syndrome decimated 95% of bats in five of Nova Scotia’s largest overwintering sites.
To monitor their numbers, researchers have set up a website where people can report any bat sightings.
Lori Phinney with the Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute says bats are quite helpful to humans.
“They’re important for a few different reasons, but the biggest one is that they eat insects. They’re eating mayflies, their eating mosquitoes, they’re eating moths, they act as a natural pest control.”
Phinney says by involving the public they hope to get more accurate population numbers.
“For people that have them on their property or see one bat flying in their backyard, that’s been the way for us to work with them and say, hey, do you have any idea where potentially that bat could be roosting? Maybe they’re in their barn, maybe it’s on the side of your house?”
To report a bat sighting follow this link.
Reported by: Ed Halverson
Twitter: @edwardhalverson
E-mail: halverson.ed@radioabl.ca