Bats help keep ecosystems safe and sound, researchers stress

Nov 8, 2013 20:46 GMT  ·  By

Apart from Bruce Wayne, there are few people in this world who keep bats close at heart. It turns out we should all start showing them some appreciation, seeing how these night creatures help keep ecosystems safe and sound by keeping insect population under control and even pollinating some plants.

The bad news is that, according to a new report in the journal BioScience, about 600,000 bats were killed by wind turbines in the United States in the year 2012 alone.

The researchers behind this report explain that, contrary to expectations, not all these bats died after having a very close encounter with the blades of a wind turbine.

On the contrary, many passed away due to injuries they had sustained because of the sudden changes in air pressure recorded in the proximity of working wind turbines, Eurek Alert says.

Wildlife researchers warn that bats in the United States are also experiencing stress due to environmental changes brought about by global warming.

Add to this that most bats only have one offspring per year, and odds are the country's bat population will soon plummet.