I WAS glad to read that someone cares about bats in Redditch (Advertiser, October 1).

The amount of development destroying their habitat is frightening. Due to developers building on green field sites, uncommon, rare and very rare species are becoming scarce and some are feared extinct.

The wanton destruction of their natural habitat is devastating the bat population all over the British Isles.

Thank God Dudley Council has its priorities right by opening up old caves to encourage roosting and hibernating in suitable environments.

It is a great pity the law governing the protection of rare and very rare species can be circumnavigated by developers. What is the point of having laws if there are ways around them?

Bats live for up to 30 years in the wild and roost in caves, dead trees and in the roots at their base. These trees are protected at all times of the year due to them returning to their roosting and hibernating sites year after year.

They mate in the autumn and then hibernate. They give birth in the spring, often in the lofts of old barns and houses where they suckle their young for three weeks.

They use trees and familiar buildings to navigate. When these are removed they get lost, often not returning to their young.

Disturb them when they are hibernating and the energy they expend waking up is often fatal because there are no insects to feed on in the colder seasons. Build on their hunting ground and their food source disappears.

I, for one, am in agreement with Mr Badger. I hope that through his efforts and the efforts of others who wish to preserve our precious green jewels that we can send a clear message to developers, the Government and council planners not to build on green spaces in our name.

I do not want to live in an England that has ceased to be a green and pleasant land.

Shame on you!

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