“Lonely Joe” is the last male Greater Mouse-eared Bat found in a cave in Sussex, England.
British scientists first discovered a Greater Mouse-eared Bat in the early 2000s when it was still very small. Prior to that, this species had been declared extinct in 1992.
“Lonely Joe” is currently the only living Greater Mouse-eared Bat in England.
By 2019, images of “Lonely Joe” as an adult were publicly released just in time for Christmas. Dr. Fiona Mathews, a biology professor and the Chair of the Mammal Society, urged the public to actively search for larger Greater Mouse-eared Bats.
According to Dr. Mathews, this species still has the potential to reside in Sussex, Hampshire, or Dorset. They typically tend to inhabit large caves in Europe.
Measuring up to 8 cm and capable of living up to 35 years, the Greater Mouse-eared Bat is one of the largest bat species found in England. The exact location of “Lonely Joe” is being kept secret to protect it from curious tourists.
The Greater Mouse-eared Bat in England is once again at risk of extinction.
In the 1970s, a colony of 20 Greater Mouse-eared Bats lived in a damp tunnel in West Sussex. However, due to an inability to sustain reproduction, the population of this colony gradually declined.
“Lonely Joe” is the last surviving Greater Mouse-eared Bat but is currently unable to find a mate, putting this species once again at risk of extinction.
