Bats

Infamous for taking out bird of the year in 2021, the long tailed bat is Aotearoa's only land mammal, and one of our most endangered species. They're mostly found in the South Island, but one colony… Audio

New Zealand's native long-tailed bat, pekapeka-tou-roa, is going strong in Franklin, south of Auckland. But these tiny mammals are threatened by introduced predators, especially cats. Producer Liz… Video, Audio

This week, producer Liz Garton heads out on a bat hunt south of Auckland with batman Ben Paris, and meets some locals working hard to keep their pekapeka neighbours safe. Audio

Surveys are being done throughout the Waipa District to try and find out where long-tailed bats are living and how many there are.  Waipa District Council arborist planner, Chris Brockelbank talks to… Audio

Two stories of Aotearoa New Zealand conservation communities who are caring for the flora and fauna in their backyards. Claire learns about the Catlins Bats on the Map project while Katy learns about… Audio

New Zealand Professor Gary McLean is with us to look at all of the latest news relating to the Covid-19 pandemic, including what the longevity of immunity is likely to be and how Covid-19 has become a… Audio

Widely blamed for being a disease vector in the spread of the novel coronavirus, bats have a bit of a PR problem at the moment. It's resulted in overzealous individuals burning their colonies, and… Audio

Nobel prize-winning Australian immunologist Professor Peter Doherty says need to think like we’ve already got Covid-19 if we want to protect our most vulnerable. Audio

University lecturer Gregory Smith details his sad childhood and his incredible tale of living in the bush in the book Out of the Forest. He talks to Jim Mora about how he dramatically turned his life… Audio

Actor and writer Ella Hope-Higginson is a shining example of what it takes to make a living on stage and screen.

The Toi Whakaari New Zealand Drama School graduate is in the recent film The Rehearsal… Audio

What are bats saying to each other? What does it all mean? Zoologist at Tel Aviv University and the head of the school's Bat Lab for Neuro-Ecology Yossi Yovel, is trying to figure out what they're… Audio

Kathryn Ryan speaks to Ken Duncum, part of a play-writing partnership with writer/actor Rebecca Rodden that sealed the reputation of Wellington's BATS theatre, as a destination for thought-provoking… Audio

Ben Paris is the Senior Biodiversity Advisor for the Auckland Council, and says if you live in that city, there's a good chance there are bats that visit your back yard. He tells us all about New… Audio, Gallery

DoC's threatened species ambassador, Nicola Toki says short tailed bats are one of the world's most ancient species of bat - and are not closely related to our other native species, the long-tailed… Audio, Gallery