Nabu warns of danger for bats in firewood
The nature conservation organization Nabu is calling on people to be particularly considerate of bats that use outdoor woodpiles as winter roosts. Nabu Hamburg announced on Thursday that firewood in particular becomes dangerous for the animals as soon as it is burned. Due to their hibernation, bats have no chance of escaping or making themselves noticed. "Sometimes the motionless animals fall to the ground when the wood is removed and are presumed dead, but this is not usually the case," it said.
The Nabu specialist group for bat protection has already received several calls in the past few days reporting bat finds in wood piles. However, group leader Alexander Heidorn fears that many sleeping animals will not even be noticed and will meet "a gruesome end in the chimney". For example, the hoary bat, which likes to cling to the wood inside a stack and is hardly noticed as a small brown animal, is particularly at risk. For this reason, Nabu is asking chimney owners in particular to take a closer look when collecting wood.
The importance of nature conservation extends to protecting animals like bats, as their winter roosts in outdoor woodpiles can be endangered by the burning of firewood. Therefore, it's crucial for individuals to be mindful of bat habitats when managing their wood supplies.
Source: www.dpa.com
