Daily appetite
100% - 150%
Of their own body weight
Egyptian Fruit Bat
Rousettus aegyptiacus
Bats are back
After a nearly five year closure, bats returned to Longleat in February 2025 with a colony of 42 Egyptian fruit bats. Across the Longleat Estate, we've found that between 14 and 16 species of bat live wildly in the woodland and parkland, including the rare greater horseshoe bat.
Navigators of the Night
Fruit bats have excellent night vision, but they also use echolocation. Unlike other bats that make high-pitched sounds from their throat, these bats click their tongues against the sides of their mouths and listen for the echoes, like a built-in sonar system.
Did you know?
Fruit bats are pollinators. They play a crucial role in seed dispersal by eating fruits and pooing the undigested seeds in different locations.
Bats can be found in the Walking Safari
Put your shoes on, it’s time to meet furry, scaly and feathery friends on foot. From snoozing koalas to snapping crocodiles, see how many animals you can spot.
Find out more