Bat Monitoring.
Documenting bat diversity across the region through systematic field surveys
Systematic bat surveys generate the baseline data that drives every conservation decision we make, from prioritizing roost protection to guiding targeted monitoring. These surveys also lead to major discoveries.
How We Conduct Surveys
Harp Trapping
Specially designed traps that safely capture bats without harm, allowing physical identification, measurement, and release.
Acoustic Monitoring
Passive recording devices deployed overnight to capture echolocation calls. Different species produce distinctive call signatures that can be identified computationally.
Point Counts & Transects
Visual and acoustic counts at established monitoring points to provide repeatable population estimates over time.
Camera Trapping
For elusive species or hard-to-access roost entrances, camera traps provide presence-absence data.
Key Survey Sites
We conduct bat surveys across multiple protected areas and forest sites including:
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Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, Cross River State: Primary long-term survey site for Hipposideros curtus
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Oban Division, Cross River National Park: New survey expansion, 2025
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Old Oyo National Park: Preliminary bat diversity survey
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Cave systems in Enugu, Imo, and Abia State: Cave bat monitoring
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Etankpini and surrounding limestone cave systems: Hipposideros curtus monitoring
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Bioko Island
Highlights
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Confirmation of Short-tailed Roundleaf bat population in southern Cross River (~10 years after first photographic evidence)
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Two new free-tailed and slit-faced bat country records for Nigeria in 2024
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Participation in Bioko Island expedition (2024), contributing to description of the 1,500th bat species globally