All facilities and cave tours will be unavailable on Sunday 4 August 2024 from approximately 8am until 3:30pm while SA Power Networks complete work in the area. The park itself will still be accessible, allowing visitors to use picnic tables and walking trails.

National Parks and Wildlife Service
South Australia

Tracking the survival of the southern bent-wing bat

Description

This project is using specialised microchips (passive integrated transponders) to track the movement and survival of the critically endangered southern bent-wing bat. The project is centred on Bat Cave at Naracoorte Caves National Park; a critical breeding site for the species.

By tracking individual bats, the project aims to determine the patterns of survival within the population. For example, do more young bats die compared with adults, or more females than males?

The project is based on research needs identified in the national recovery plan for the southern bent-wing bat. It is hoped that this research will give clues to the cause of the population decline that has been observed and documented since the 1960s, and together with the results of other studies, assist targeted recovery action to increase the southern bent-wing bat population.

Researcher

Timeline

Jan 2016 – Jan 2018