Ecologist Oli Aylen was setting up survey nets near mangroves when his handheld bat detector captured something unexpected overhead. The recording revealed an Arnhem sheath-tailed bat at Pungalina-Seven Emu Wildlife Sanctuary, more than 650 kilometers—about 400 miles—from its previous easternmost record. Australian Wildlife Conservancy announced the finding on October 31.
Aylen sent the recording to Northern Territory government scientist Damian Milne, who confirmed the identification. The elusive bat flies high and fast, making it difficult to observe. Its distinctive echolocation call offered a way to detect what researchers might otherwise have missed. The result expands the species’ known range; it does not show that the bat recently migrated that distance or that its population has increased.
The sanctuary spans mangroves, rainforest, woodlands, and wetlands on Yanyuwa and Waanyi-Garawa Country. Its conservation work includes fire management, invasive-species control, and ecological monitoring across more than 300,000 hectares. AWC now plans targeted surveys to learn more about the bat, including where it roosts. Finding those resting places could help researchers understand which parts of this varied landscape the species depends on—and how best to protect them.
