The reintroduction of beavers to wetlands in England and Wales is leading to an increase in bat activity, a new study suggests.
Researchers from UWE Bristol found that bat movements in beaver enclosures were significantly higher than in comparable wetland sites where no beavers are present.
For one species of bat, Barbastella barbastellus, activity was recorded as 393 per cent higher in the beaver enclosures than in other wetland sites unimpacted by beavers.
The academics say their study is the first to demonstrate that beavers in the UK have a positive impact on bats, which depend on freshwater ecosystems such as wetlands for drinking water and use them as a foraging resource.
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