The fascinating role played by bats in many ecosystems is being explored in a project led by academics from the University of Chester.

Dr Christina Stanley; Professor Tessa Smith and PhD student Lucy Morison are working closely with the Vincent Wildlife Trust and Professor Yu Shi at the University of Leeds to combine innovative technological, behavioural and endocrinological (the study of hormones) approaches to advance the understanding of small-bodied bats’ responses to human-induced environmental changes.

The Social Lives of Bats will be explored in a free talk open to the public by Christina on Saturday, July 6 as part of the University’s Festival of Ideas. Christina will discuss how some bats actively maintain friendships, have a complex social life and even share food to save others’ lives.

Launched in September last year The BATMAN Project, has been made possible due to a research grant from the Leverhulme Trust. As part of this project, the nanotechnology being developed will revolutionise how small-bodied animals are tracked worldwide.