The short-tailed roundleaf bat, known scientifically as Hipposideros curtus, was found in 2016 by Nigerian biologist Iroro Tanshi during field research in the Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary in Cross River state.The discovery came decades after the species had last been recorded in the wild during the 1970s.

Researchers had feared that the bat had become extinct after previously documented habitats in parts of Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea disappeared because of deforestation and other human pressures.Tanshi was conducting doctoral research when her team captured the bat during a night expedition.

The scientists had been setting traps near a known bat roost when they noticed one animal that appeared different from the others.She said the bat’s unusually large ears and distinct features led her to consult identification records, which confirmed that the specimen was the short-tailed roundleaf bat.

The discovery prompted further surveys across cave networks in the Afi sanctuary and nearby Cross River National Park. Using harp traps and mist nets, Tanshi and local assistants identified 15 additional bats from the species.The short-tailed roundleaf bat is a small insect-eating mammal that weighs roughly the same as a teaspoon of salt.

Unlike larger fruit bats, it has small eyes and a highly developed nose structure that helps it navigate through darkness using echolocation.Because the species relies heavily on sound and is sensitive to disturbance, researchers have adapted their methods to avoid harming the animals.

Tanshi said she often uses red light during fieldwork because bright lights and noise can affect the bats.The rediscovery highlighted the importance of the Afi sanctuary, a protected rainforest area that supports several threatened species, including gorillas, drill monkeys and other wildlife.

However, Tanshi said she found that public awareness and conservation efforts were often focused on larger animals, while smaller species such as bats received less attention.She said local communities had strong cultural connections with some large mammals and often understood the need to protect them. Bats, however, continued to face threats despite existing conservation protections.

One of the major challenges has been hunting. In some communities, bats are considered a source of food and are traded as bushmeat.Bats have also historically faced negative perceptions in many societies, with some communities associating them with superstition or disease.

Tanshi described attitudes toward bats as complicated, noting that public concerns around diseases such as Ebola and Covid-19 had further influenced perceptions.In response to the threats facing bats and other small mammals, Tanshi and bat specialist Benneth Obitte established the Small Mammal Conservation Organisation in 2016.

The organisation later launched the Zero Wildfire Campaign, aimed at reducing forest fires that damage habitats and threaten wildlife.The campaign introduced colour-coded warning systems to help farmers manage controlled burning and reduce accidental fires.

Tanshi also created a community-based Forest Guardians group to monitor burning activities and respond quickly when fires spread.According to Tanshi, wildfire incidents in the forest area have declined significantly over several years following these efforts.

Her conservation work around the Afi sanctuary has received international recognition. She was named a National Geographic explorer and received environmental awards for efforts to protect the rainforest ecosystem.

A decade after the discovery of the short-tailed roundleaf bat, Tanshi continues to study the biodiversity of Nigeria’s forests and the species that remain hidden within them.The scientist said the rediscovery demonstrated how little is still known about some ecosystems and how species thought to have vanished can sometimes survive unnoticed.

The survival of the bat colony has also raised questions about how conservation strategies can better include smaller and less visible species, particularly in regions facing habitat loss and pressure from human activity.

For researchers working in the Afi sanctuary, the discovery transformed a species once considered lost into a focus of renewed conservation efforts.

The release, organized by the Ukrainian Center for Chiropteran Rehabilitation, drew more than 1,000 attendees on Saturday evening, including families, off-duty soldiers and wildlife enthusiasts.

The event coincided with the onset of spring following a winter marked by subzero temperatures, repeated Russian drone and missile attacks, and widespread power disruptions.Volunteers opened cloth bags at dusk, allowing the bats to take flight as onlookers observed and applauded.

Many of the animals had been rescued from eastern regions affected by fighting, where destruction of buildings has disrupted natural habitats.Anastasiia Vovk, a volunteer with the rehabilitation center, said all 28 bat species in Ukraine are listed as protected due to declining populations.

She said conservation efforts were critical, noting that the animals are included on endangered species lists.Experts say the war has compounded threats to bat populations. Explosions and structural damage have destroyed traditional roosting sites, while disturbances during winter hibernation can be fatal.

Bats reproduce slowly, typically bearing one or two offspring annually, limiting population recovery.Alona Shulenko, who led the release, said habitat loss has forced bats into urban areas, where they shelter in buildings and balconies.

Repairs or demolition of such structures can destroy entire colonies, she added.Ukraine lies along an important eastern European migratory route for bats, all of which in the country are insect-eating and legally protected.

The rehabilitation center said it has rescued more than 30,000 bats overall, including around 4,000 during the past winter.Attendees described the event as a rare opportunity for normalcy amid the conflict.

Oleksii Beliaiev, a Kyiv resident attending with his family, said the gathering provided a temporary distraction from wartime pressures, though he noted the conflict remains the central concern for most Ukrainians.

Shulenko said the organization would continue its work despite the challenges posed by the war, emphasizing that halting rescue efforts could result in significant losses to already vulnerable bat populations.

Wearing a helmet fitted with a headlamp and a protective mask, molecular biologist Raúl da Silva Armando Chomela moves through the confined, low-light interiors of cave systems in central Mozambique, examining bat populations and their byproducts as part of a broader scientific effort to understand subterranean ecosystems.

Chomela, originally from the port city of Beira, has spent two years conducting research inside caves located in and around Gorongosa National Park, a 4,000 square kilometre conservation area recognized for its biodiversity.

His work focuses on bats and guano, a substance formed from accumulated bird and bat excrement that serves as a complex biological environment.“Guano is far more than just bat droppings,” Chomela said in an interview, describing it as a dynamic ecosystem.

According to his observations, guano supports a wide range of cave-dwelling organisms, including beetles, amphibians and microorganisms that have adapted to life in conditions without sunlight.

The caves in Gorongosa represent highly specialized environments. Organisms found within them have evolved to survive in stable, low-light conditions with distinct microbiomes that differ significantly from surface ecosystems.

These systems are characterized by limited external input and reliance on internal nutrient cycles, often driven by organic deposits such as guano.Chomela’s research involves entering narrow passages and descending into enclosed spaces using ropes and ladders, often without full knowledge of the terrain or species present.

According to the park’s science department, the cave networks in the region extend across approximately 183 square kilometres, forming interconnected underground systems.

More than 100 bat species have been identified in Gorongosa, although there is no precise data on how many inhabit these caves. One site, known as Tombo Aphale 5, has been extensively studied and hosts an estimated population of over 10,000 bats.

The cave is also the site of an active archaeological excavation, indicating its broader scientific relevance beyond ecological research.Gorongosa National Park was established in 1960 during Portuguese colonial administration.

Following Mozambique’s independence in 1975, conservation was not prioritized under the ruling Frelimo party. Two years later, the park became a strategic location during the country’s civil war, which involved government forces and the insurgent group Renamo.

Renamo, initially formed with support from the Rhodesian government under Ian Smith and later backed by apartheid-era South Africa, operated within the park’s terrain. During the conflict, armed groups relied on wildlife for sustenance, leading to widespread depletion of animal populations.

By the end of the war, which lasted more than 15 years, approximately 95% of the park’s wildlife had been lost, including nearly all of its estimated 5,500 hippos.The effects of the conflict extended beyond environmental damage.

Local communities experienced forced recruitment and other human rights abuses during the war, contributing to long-term social and economic challenges in the region.

In the decades since the conflict ended, Gorongosa has become the focus of sustained conservation and restoration efforts. These initiatives have involved partnerships between international institutions and Mozambican researchers, aiming to rebuild ecosystems and support local development.

One such initiative is the Paleo-Primate Project, established in 2018 as a collaboration between the University of Oxford and Gorongosa National Park. The project is led by Susana Carvalho and integrates research in archaeology, ecology and geology.

It also provides training and employment opportunities for local researchers and students.Carvalho said the broader Gorongosa Restoration Project has become a significant employer in the region, contributing to economic stability.

The project supports scientific research while also engaging local communities in conservation efforts.Chomela joined Gorongosa’s biodiversity laboratory in 2022 before becoming part of the Paleo-Primate Project in 2025.

His research spans multiple disciplines, including the use of environmental DNA to reconstruct historical ecosystems and metabarcoding techniques to analyze genetic material from bats and primates.

He is currently a first-year doctoral student at the University of Porto in Portugal, with his research based at the EO Wilson Laboratory in Chitengo, located within the park. In addition to his academic work, he leads the genetics laboratory at the facility, contributing to ongoing studies of biodiversity and ecosystem dynamics.

Chomela has also raised concerns about the potential overexploitation of guano resources. While the material is valued for its agricultural and economic uses, he noted that excessive harvesting could alter the composition of cave ecosystems.

“When they see the guano, they see money,” he said, adding that unsustainable extraction could disrupt the balance of species that depend on it.He emphasized the importance of building a scientific foundation to inform conservation practices and community engagement.

“We want a scientific base to convince the community,” he said, referring to efforts to align local economic interests with environmental sustainability.

The integration of scientific research, conservation policy and community involvement remains central to ongoing work in Gorongosa, as researchers continue to document and restore one of Africa’s most ecologically significant regions.