Bat disappearance: Public prosecutor's office investigates
The public prosecutor's office is investigating the disappearance of several hundred bats from a former industrial site in Wangen im Allgäu (Ravensburg district). There is an initial suspicion of a violation of the Federal Nature Conservation Act, the investigating authority announced on Friday when asked. Unknown persons are being investigated. SWR and the "Schwäbische Zeitung" newspaper had previously reported on the matter.
According to the city, the site will be rebuilt for the State Garden Show next year. It is therefore possible that not enough was done to protect the bats during the construction work - despite a corresponding overall bat protection concept.
According to the city, the animals had roosts on the site, for example to raise their young. According to the report, they were in crevices and facings along house facades or in basements. Since 2012, up to ten species have been identified during visual inspections - including the water bat, the pipistrelle bat and the broad-winged bat.
According to the city, the concept also includes the creation of replacement roosts. "Façade blocks and bat hotels were attached to the buildings and to additional scaffolding erected as an interim solution."
However, new surveys have shown that the overall population on the site has decreased significantly. "The reasons for this are thought to be unforeseeable changes during construction and delays in the construction process."
The public prosecutor's office is still investigating who exactly is responsible. Experts hope that the bats will return to the site once the construction work is complete.
The investigation by the public prosecutor's office also encompasses potential violations of nature conservation laws related to the treatment of other animal species on the site, not just the bats. The importance of nature conservation becomes evident as these disappearances raise concerns about the long-term impact on local biodiversity, particularly for species like the water bat, pipistrelle bat, and broad-winged bat that have established roosts there.
Source: www.dpa.com
