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One of the rarest bat species has given birth at Jersey Zoo – who captured it on camera for the first time.
The Livingstone's fruit bat is critically endangered, with only an estimated 1,300 of the species remaining in the wild.
The bat pup, which is yet to be named, was born on 27 April to eight-year old mother Nymeria.
While inspecting Nymeria, curator of mammals Domonic Wormell managed to capture the footage, along with student Ksenia Potapova.
Keepers are happy with how the pup is progressing, after it was born weighing between 50g and 70g.
The conservation charity has pioneered the conservation of these "super mammals", with a record-breaking 16 healthy pups born into the colony last year.
The new pup is expected to hang on to Nymeria until it’s a few months old when it can start to fly independently and feed itself. Once flying, it will be able to soar around the zoo’s 800m2 enclosure "Island Bat Root".
Speaking about the birth, Dom Wormell said: "Witnessing the bat birth was an incredible experience.
"Bats often have a bad reputation, but they are extremely social and caring animals.
"Bats are crucial to bringing back these forests and helping ecosystems replenish."
The footage was recorded by Curator of Mammals at Jersey Zoo, Domonic Wormell, along with student Ksenia Potapova whilst they were inspecting the mother.
The bat pup, which is still to be named, was born by eight-year-old mother, Nymeria on April 2023. It weighed 50-70g at birth and keepers are happy with how it is progressing. Bat pups generally hang off to their mother until around 2.5 months when they start to fly. It is not until they are one that they become more independent and feed for themselves.
Originating in the Comoro Islands, Northwest of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, the Livingstone’s fruit bat is critically endangered with only an estimated 1,300 of the species remaining in the wild.
The spread of human populations destroys their habitat as they make room for forest homes on the islands.
This means that every birth at Jersey Zoo, whose captive population of the bats make up 90% of global numbers, helps secure the future of this unique species which is being driven to the edge of extinction.
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