Sussex's very special Bat - 'Lonely Joe'

The disappearance of Lonely Joe

The appropriately named Greater Mouse-eared Bat ‘Lonely Joe’ has been giving the UK bat scene a scare since 2019 when the last known survivor of its species fell off the radar for almost 2 years. Lonely Joe was discovered as a pup (adolescent bat) in 2002, following the greater mouse-eared bat’s declared extinction from the UK in 1992. Lonely Joe is believed to be the most solitary animal in the nation, living a quiet life in a railway tunnel in Sussex, happily feasting on Britain’s vast diversity of spiders and beetles. However, when Joe went missing in 2019, sadness spread amid fears he had passed away. UK bat lovers were left in dismay and the hopeful return of the species to the UK mainland was left in ruins. Thankfully, our heroic Joe has made a stunning return and was spotted alive and well over the Christmas period, providing UK bat lovers with a Christmas miracle. Joe was spotted hibernating alongside other rare species of bats such as Greater horseshoes and Natterers, highlighting the significance of Sussex railway tunnels for hibernating bats. The re-emergence of Joe after his 2-year long hiatus has sparked the search for a suitable mate and the mammal society are urging all bat enthusiasts to keep an eye out for greater mouse-eared bats in hopes of making our lonely Joe a successful breeding pair.

The origin of Joe

The origin of Joe and how he ended up in Sussex isn’t entirely clear, however, many people believe that he was blown over to the UK from mainland Europe after being caught out in a storm. The storm that swooped up Joe in October of 2002 could possibly have been Cyclone Jeanett, a strong extratropical storm that spread through Northern Europe with wind speeds of up to 110mph. Another theory is that Joe is just a temporary visitor. Greater mouse-eared bats have been known to travel up to 300km between summer and winter hibernation roosts, therefore it is possible that he migrates to the UK every winter and takes up summer residence somewhere in Central Europe. Finally, many people believe that Lonely Joe is native to the UK and that he is the last of a series of breeding colonies established in Southeast England. Until the 1970’s, a colony of 20 greater mouse-eared bats survived in railway tunnels across West Sussex, but due to unsuccessful breeding, their numbers dwindled. Is Joe the last survivor of this colony, and are more of his siblings still at large going undetected by the Sussex Bat Group? Whatever you choose to believe, the mystery of Lonely Joe is as strange as he is sweet.

Lonely Joe’s lonely habits

• Joe is a nocturnal feeder and hunts in the night; however, unlike other species of bats, greater mouse-eared bats do not use echolocation to find their prey, instead locate prey passively by listening for noises produced by insects.
• ?Unlike our little anomaly Joe, greater mouse-eared bats are usually very social creatures and on Mediterranean islands their colonies can have up to 500 individuals.
• Greater mouse-eared bats roost in buildings and caves throughout summer and cave, mines, and cellars throughout winter.
• The largest threat to greater mouse-eared bats is human development. The nursery roosts are often subject to disturbance and individuals can be susceptible to the chemicals used to treat timber roofs.?