Keeping bats and humans safe

Bats in Roosts

As far as possible bats should be left alone to live their lives and provide their essential ecosystem services to the environment. Roosts should be left undisturbed and where necessary protected from human interference. We do not recommend humans being taken through bat caves for tours as this can impact the safety of the bats and possibly also of the humans.

Handling Bats

Bats should only ever be handled by people trained in the correct procedures to prevent injury to the bat and potential bites. The bat specialists of SABAA adhere to strict guidelines when entering bat caves and handling bats. In June 2024 the IUCN SSC Bat Specialist Group published their Guidelines for Field Hygiene when dealing with bats, a copy of which can be found here.