Bat Week 2026 starts with focus on bat research in India
Bat Week, a global celebration of bats, runs from 24 Oct to 31 Oct 2026. Bats make up about 20 % of all mammal species. India has 135 documented bat species, seven of them classed as threatened on the IUCN Red List, while 35 more are listed as data deficient or unassessed. Rohit Chakravarty of Bat Conservation International says fewer than 50 researchers in India focus on bats, which he says creates an urgent need for more study. A New Zealand project, Finding Franklin Bats, involves more than 180 volunteers and six staff from local Indigenous communities.
Key facts
- Seven Indian bat species are threatened, per the IUCN Red List, out of 135 documented.
- Mongabay reports that 35 Indian bat species lack a known conservation status.
- Chakravarty links the shortage of bat researchers to the need for more study.
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Why it matters
Many bat species lack assessed conservation status, so limited research leaves some populations hard to protect.
What changed
First published from Mongabay