African Bat Conservation

05/02/2026

Meet the striped leaf-nosed bat (Macronycteris vittata) 🦇

We caught two individuals of this striking species during a survey last week in at Kumbali Game Reserve , only our third record of M. Vittata in Malawi 🙌

This is a large, insect-eating bat that forages in cluttered woodland and forest edges, using powerful echolocation to hunt beetles and other hard-bodied insects. It follows that up with quite a fiesty attitude!

📷 .d.omalley

University of Bath Milner Centre for Evolution Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources Lilongwe City Council Lilongwe City Green Guardians LLGG Wesm Lilongwe

12/11/2025

ABC has been busy busy this season with the help of CRM doing fieldwork for Felix Tuff's PhD looking at the impacts of habitat loss on bats. 🦇

After an amazing trip to Kasungu National Park last week, stuffed full of elephants, leopards, hippos, antelopes, and of course some incredible bats, the team is on cloud nine. Our research went off without a hitch, successfully catching a bunch of little free-tailed bats (Mops pumilus) from DNPW ranger Michael's house.

New team members Selemani Mustafer and Kiera Hodges are adapting fantastically to Malawian bat work and looking forward to what the rest of the season holds!

Huge thanks goes to DNPW for hosting us at Kasungu and we're especially grateful for all the help and laughs Mphatso, Michael, Joseph, Rueben, and Leonard provided during our stay!

Next stop Viphya forest reserve!

02/10/2025

Looking for a wildlife volunteering adventure in Africa? 🦇

Bats play a vital role in healthy ecosystems, from controlling crop pests to pollinating plants, but they face increasing threats from habitat loss and human pressures. At African Bat Conservation, we work to protect bats and their habitats through research, conservation, and community engagement.

As a volunteer, you’ll:
✔️ Join our field surveys and research projects
✔️ Gain hands-on experience in bat conservation and field ecology
✔️ Support community engagement and education initiatives

Volunteering with us is a unique opportunity to live and work in Malawi, contribute to meaningful conservation work, and be part of an international team dedicated to protecting Africa’s bats.

🌍 Learn more and apply:
www.africanbatconservation.org/volunteer

22/09/2025

🦇 Join Our Conservation Mission in Malawi! 🌍
We’re looking for passionate individuals to become Research Assistants with African Bat Conservation!

Step into the field and help protect some of Africa’s most fascinating and misunderstood mammals. You'll be part of vital ecological research across Malawi, including our urban base in Lilongwe and various sites across the southern regions of Malawi.

💼 Ideal for early-career conservationists
🗺️ Work across multiple field sites
🤝 Be part of a collaborative, impact-driven team

🔎 Sound like your next adventure?
👉 Apply today: www.africanbatconservation.org/vacancies

17/07/2025

Last month, our research team caught a piebald Ethiopian epauletted fruit bat (Epomophorus labiatus) during fieldwork in Lilongwe, Malawi 🦇

Piebaldism is a rare genetic condition caused by the absence of melanocytes (pigment-producing cells) in certain patches of skin or fur. Unlike albinism, piebald animals retain normal colouration in the rest of their body and eyes.

This individual's unusual white facial patch was a rare and exciting find for the team!

📷 .d.omalley

24/06/2025

A striking bat from Malawi's unique rainforest habitat! 🦇

This large-eared free-tailed bat (Otomops martiensseni) was a memorable catch during our first ever visit to Ntchisi Forest Reserve, one of the last remaining pockets of rainforest in Malawi 🌳

It might not win any beauty contests, but it’s certainly one of the more intriguing species we’ve encountered. Even more exciting, this marks our first record of Otomops martiensseni in Malawi, and we caught two of them! 🎉

📸 .d.omalley

25/03/2025

🦇 A New Species for Kuti Wildlife Reserve! 🌿

As mentioned previously, this past week, the ABC team has been busy with fieldwork in Kuti, supporting PhD student Felix with his research. As part of our bat trapping surveys, we made an exciting discovery – the Striped Leaf-Nosed Bat (Macronycteris vittata)! 🎉

This species is near-threatened (IUCN Red List) and has been rarely sighted in Malawi by ABC. But what makes this find even more special? It’s the first-ever record of this species in Kuti! 🏕️✨

We’re incredibly grateful to for providing a space to carry out our research and contribute to the growing knowledge of bat diversity in Malawi! 🦇💚

📸 Stay tuned for more updates from the field!

24/03/2025

ABC Fieldwork in Kuti – Lighting & Landscape Studies 🦇

The past few weeks have been busy for the ABC team in Kuti Wildlife Reserve! 🌿🏕️

In February, ABC student Lewis Absalom conducted three lighting experiments at different lodge locations, studying how artificial light impacts bats. 💡🦇 This research examines whether artificial lighting near roosts and feeding areas alters bat activity patterns, potentially affecting their foraging and movement.

Now in March, we’re back again – this time supporting PhD student Felix Tuff with his research on:

📌 How habitat disturbance affects bat communities
📌 Landscape genetics & habitat fragmentation
📌 Adaptive variation in bats & climate change

To monitor bat activity, static acoustic detectors are being placed in habitats across a disturbance gradient. 🦇🎙️ Surveys will be conducted simultaneously at all sites from sunset to sunrise. 🌙

A huge thank you to for allowing us to conduct our research in such a stunning and ecologically important location! 🌿💚 Your support makes this work possible!

12/03/2025

📢Hey African researchers! The new edition of the African Chiroptera Report is already available! 🦇🌍📄

https://www.africanbats-npc.org/acr/african-chiroptera-report-2024

ACR. 2024. African Chiroptera Report 2024. V. Van Cakenberghe and E.C. J. Seamark (eds). AfricanBats NPC, Pretoria. i - xv; 1 - 1397 pp (DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.15903.27045).

ACR 2024

14/02/2025

We’re hiring! 🎉 Join the African Bat Conservation team in Malawi as a Research Assistant and contribute to advancing bat conservation research.

Be part of a passionate team working on exciting field projects! The role will likely involve extended stays in the south of Malawi, along with time spent across our field sites, including and our urban research camp in Lilongwe 🦇

To learn more and apply, visit: www.africanbatconservation.org/vacancies

14/02/2025

We’re hiring! 🎉 Join the African Bat Conservation team in Malawi as a Research Assistant and contribute to advancing bat conservation research.

Be part of a passionate team working on exciting field projects! The role will likely involve extended stays in the south of Malawi, along with time spent across our field sites, including and our urban research camp in Lilongwe 🦇

To learn more and apply, visit:  www.africanbatconservation.org/vacancies

20/01/2025

🌟 Event Success! 🌟

Last Friday, in collaboration with Land and Lake Safaris, the ABC Team hosted a successful event to raise awareness about the conservation of the Straw-coloured Fruit Bat (Eidolon helvum) in the urban area of Lilongwe.

The event aimed to educate the community about this remarkable species and the ongoing conservation efforts by African Bat Conservation at one of the largest roosts in the area, located at Maula Catholic Parish Church. Over 70 participants attended, demonstrating the strong interest from the Lilongwe community to learn more about these seasonal visitors. 🌍🦇

Attendees were treated to an unforgettable experience, watching thousands of bats emerge at dusk from their roost—a truly breathtaking sight! 🌅

Thanks to all the participants! With your generous contributions, we raised over 700,000 MWK, which will be donated to the Church to support ongoing maintenance of the grounds and assist in preserving this critical roost for the bats. This will help us continue our research and conservation work at this vital site. 💰🙏

We thank you for hosting us at their beautiful cafe and a heartfelt thank you to Father Louis for allowing us to have access to the Maula Church premises.
Special thanks go to and Ollie for their help. Your support made this event possible, and we are incredibly grateful. ❤️

Together, we are making a difference! 🦇