A family of eight Greater Horseshoe bats have been discovered during an ecological survey at a derelict stables in West Sussex.

Wildlife charities the Sussex Bat Group and the Vincent Wildlife Trust are now fundraising to restore the site to protect and increase future breeding.
The exact location of the founder colony is being kept secret.

Dr Stephanie Murphy from the Sussex Bat Group said: “We’ve had confirmed bats from the Dorset colony come to West Sussex to hibernate.”

So far, the group has raised over £6,000 to restore the stables and hopes to fundraise further to turn it into a maternity unit for the species in Sussex in future years.

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