Safari Park’s fruit bats find new Devon home
THE animal zone of Bicton College welcomed some new arrivals last week.
Some 30 Egyptian fruit bats from the UK’s top safari park were in need of a new home and the Cornwall College Group leading land based facility has taken them in.
The nocturnal creatures arrived at the college following Longleat Safari Park’s decision to close down their ‘bat cave’ exhibit, in part due to the impact of coronavirus rules.
However, in their new home at The Cornwall College Group’s leading land-based facility, at Budleigh Salterton, Devon, the bats will be cared for by an expert animal management team whilst students will enjoy the unique opportunity to learn more about them as part of their course or qualification.
Jess Hill, head instructor at Bicton College, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be able to welcome the bats into our collection, our animal management team are really excited to work with them and be able to encourage our students to gain knowledge about a species that they may not have worked with before.
“These bats will provide our learners with great opportunities to carry out research projects, animal husbandry and develop zoo keeping skills to be able to go into the animal management industry. Their individual personalities have started to shine through now they have settled in and we love them.”
Longleat visitors had been unable to see the bats for most of the last season as coronavirus restrictions prevented the exhibit, which was in a small inside space, from opening.
The park has also decided to restore the building in which the bats lived to its former glory as the old coach house of Longleat’s Elizabethan stately home.