KNOWSLEY Safari Park is set to welcome visitors for an "after hours" experience with a difference as they head into the woods on the lookout for the UK's most elusive bat species.

The park's team of experts will lead visitors through the winding woods as bats and birds of the night swoop around them.

They will use specialist acoustic bat monitoring equipment to help nature enthusiasts identify the sounds of native species of bat, including the Common Pipistrelle, Noctules, Brown Long-Eared and Myotis bats.

The twilight adventure takes place at 8pm on Saturday, August 29.

Animal keeper Leah Drury said: “You never know what you will see on a twilight walk through the woods at Knowsley Safari. Without our special equipment, human ears wouldn’t pick up on the chirping noises that bats make, so it is an incredible experience for families to enter the world of British bats.

“On our last session, we saw the rare Natterers bat, who had been tracked by us before. It is exciting to see that the work we are doing to protect the species is working and that the woods here are providing a natural habitat where they can thrive.”

Bats are a protected species and play a vital role in the ecosystem as they consume immense amounts of insects, while others pollinate fruits and flowers. Even their droppings are a rich, natural fertiliser for the earth.

  • Tickets for the bat walk cost £5.
     
  • For more information, and to book your place, click here.