Rare bat species detected in eastern Switzerland

This is the first time in many years the bat species was seen in Switzerland. Keystone-SDA

For the first time in decades, a horseshoe bat has been found in the canton of Schaffhausen in eastern Switzerland. This bat species is facing the threat of extinction with only four known colonies left in the country.

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An automatic wildlife camera provided the first photographic evidence of the greater horseshoe bat in the canton of Schaffhausen a few weeks ago, as reported by the Regional Coordination Centre for Bat Conservation Schaffhausen on Thursday. The image taken from a manhole contained a surprise: the animal photographed was an unringed specimen, meaning no metal or plastic ring has been attached to its leg for identification.

The biological sensation of the find only became clear with this photographic evidence. The authorities had already registered the rare bat species in the canton for the first time in 2023. At that time, it was a female ringed in Germany that had flown across the border. Since then, the researchers assumed that only this one, solitary animal alternates between two summer roosts in the Schaffhausen area.

As the newly photographed specimen is not wearing a ring, it is clear that a second animal is now native to the canton.

Still widespread in the 19th century

The discovery of the second animal in spring 2026 is a milestone for nature conservation. Jeannine Klaiber, Head of the Regional Coordination Centre for Bat Conservation Schaffhausen, sees the discovery as a strong signal: “We interpret this as an indication that the habitat in the Schaffhausen area offers a certain potential for the greater horseshoe bat.”

The greater horseshoe bat owes its name to a characteristic patch of skin on its nose. While it was still widespread in Switzerland in the 19th century, populations were drastically decimated due to lack of accommodation, loss of habitats and pesticides.

Translated from German by AI/jdp

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