Feared Extinct Short-Tailed Roundleaf Bat Rediscovered in Nigeria

The bat that weighs the same as a teaspoon of salt – and the biologist who rediscovered it

The short-tailed roundleaf bat was feared extinct until scientist Iroro Tanshi found one in Afi sanctuary in Nigeria, and set out to protect the only confirmed roosting colony Just after sunrise, a cacophony of whoops and chatter can be heard over the verdant forests of the Afi mountain wildlife sanctuary. Nestled within the Cross River rainforest in south-east Nigeria, and spanning an area about the size of central Paris, the steep sanctuary is a haven for endangered gorillas, drill monkeys,...

By Kingsley Charles