Bats, exhibition Toulcuv dvůr: How they live in Prague
Bats are found throughout Prague, including the center. They need trees to live, so they often live in parks, alleys and urban forests. Maternal colonies of females with young find shelter in tree cavities, hibernating colonies occupy deep cavities. Tree crowns are used for hunting insects and mating. “They can lose their shelters due to cutting down trees, and then they often find alternative shelters in human structures,” informs Bleska Dagmar Zieglerová, chairwoman of the Basic Organization of the Czech Association of Nature Protectors Nyctalus (ZO CSOP Nyctalus).
Vltava like a bat highway
Tall buildings in panel housing estates remind bats of rock massifs, in inner blocks in the center of the metropolis they climb into cracks in the facade or into holes in trees. “The Vltava flowing through the center is, in addition to a hunting ground, also an important orientation element and a flight element, for a bat it represents the same thing as a highway for us.” Dagmar Ziegler explains. The favorite hunting grounds of these nocturnal animals are bodies of water, where many types of insects are concentrated. It makes up the majority of their diet.
From the ruined landscape to the cities
Conservationist Petr Stýblo already notices that more and more of these winged animals are moving to Prague. “At first glance, animals are clearly increasing in cities. A lot of them are moving to the cities because they are better off here than in our agriculturally devastated countryside,” says Petr Stýblo from the Czech Union of Nature Conservators.
Bats are looking for an environment with a rich food supply. “Above the chemical, they can be used by agricultural areas with a minimum of insects, they have nothing to hunt, or the insects are poisonous to bats after insecticides, and thus, thanks to the targeted support of biodiversity, they often find much more favorable conditions in Prague’s greenery than in the surrounding countryside,” says bat expert Dagmar.
The reason is climate change and the way agricultural and forest land is managed. For some species of bats, the location of occurrence changes. “Perhaps the first documented finding of Savio’s bat (Hypsugo savii) in Bohemia in the center of Prague in 2013 was found as a surprising and more or less accidental find, today, this species is found in several places in Prague, and it reproduces here as well,” adds Dagmar.
I have bats in my attic, what should I do?
If someone discovers a colony of bats in a building in Prague, there is no need to panic. The mere presence of bats poses no risk. “Any unwanted manifestations of their presence can be resolved, we recommend consulting with experts from the Czech Society for the Protection of Bats (GARLIC)” recommended by Dagmar.
In order for the measure to be effective in the long term and at the same time gentle on legally protected bats, it must be carried out at the right time and with suitable technical means. “If you discover bats before building modifications or insulation, contact the experts immediately,” adds Dagmar in conclusion.
Especially at the end of summer and autumn, bats can inadvertently get into the living areas of houses. These are mostly inexperienced cubs. If a bat flies into the apartment, experts advise to open the window as much as possible, turn off the lights and wait. The wingman gets his bearings and usually finds his way out on his own. In case of an attack by a large number of bats, it is advisable to contact experts. They catch them and then release them outside the apartment.
WHERE: Toulcův Dvůr, Kubatova 32/1, Prague 10
WHEN: until September 19, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m
ADMISSION: for free
Toulc’s yard in the summer of 2022. Jan Dařílek
In summer, Toulc’s yard in Prague 10 transports the visitor to a village
Author: Jan Dařílek