Highways are a nightmare for animals because they fragment habitats and obstruct the movements of animals. Now, you wouldn’t think that flying animals would have a problem with roads, but as it turns out, some bats do. Not with the roads themselves, but with the street lights. Many bat species will not cross roads lit by white lights which can stop them from finding food and water. Standard street lights also attract insects that bats feed on, reducing the supply available in their feeding areas. For this reason, one county in the UK is creating it’s first “bat highway”, a stretch of road where the street lights have been replaced by LED lights that emit red light. Bats aren’t bothered by red light – feeding and moving through their habitats just as they would in the dark. Similar lighting is already being used in the Netherlands, where it is proving to help bat species and other nocturnal creatures. If you’re wondering what it’s like for drivers and pedestrians, the council behind the project says the bat lights meet the needs of road users and residents.
This bat highway allows light-shy bats to cross the road
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