Dawn Chorus: Lonely bat finds love, Britain's best sheep crowned, and the local theatres at risk of closure

Lonely bat finds love

Britain’s loneliest bat, a male greater mouse-eared bat, may finally find love. The elderly male, which has been living and hibernating for the past 21 years in a disused railway tunnel in Sussex, was long believed to be the last of his species in Britain; greater mouse-eared bats were declared extinct in the UK in 1992.

However, the discovery of a young female hibernating in the South Downs national park has brought hope for the species. However, the old male will first have to find her.

‘The finding of a female is rewarding and a remarkable discovery, which brings huge hope for this species,’ Daniel Whitby, an ecologist and founder of the Bat Conservation and Research Unit, told the Guardian over the weekend.

The greater mouse-eared bat is Britain’s largest — it’s about the size of a small rabbit with a wingspan of half a metre. It feeds on the ground, swooping on prey such as grasshopper, dung beetles and cricket, often folding its wings over its dinners.

The old male bat was presumed to have died when it wasn’t found in its usual hibernating tunnel in 2019. However, it returned in 2022 and 2023, but is ‘certainly getting on a bit’, according to Nick Gray of Sussex Bat Group.

‘The absence of the old male felt like the final nail in the coffin for this species in Britain, but this new discovery once again sparks hope that a mammal declared extinct could bounce back,’ said Daniel Hargreaves, the bat programme manager for Vincent Wildlife Trust, which creates and enhances roosts for some of Britain’s rarest bats. ‘The lonely male who hung around since 2002 hasn’t been seen since 2023 – but we can only hope further individuals are discovered and that a viable population is formed.’

‘By providing suitable roosts, restoring habitats and reducing anthropogenic threats such as artificial light and noise, this species might just stand a chance of recovering.’

Quiz of the day

1) Who was the first Hanover King of England?

2) The Saintpaulia plant is more commonly known as what?

3) Keratitis is an inflammation of what?

4) If something is lacustrine, what does it relate to? 

5) What is the name for a puppet controlled by strings or wires?

The shows must go on

Local governments’ ongoing funding battles are reflected in Theatres Trust’s updated Theatres at Risk Register, released yesterday. There are five new entries in this year’s 43-strong list, each of them local authority-owned provincial venues. The Prince of Wales Theatre in the heart of Cannock, Staffordshire, and the Oswaldtwistle Civic Arts Centre and Theatre, Lancashire, face uncertain futures owing to budgeting shortfalls.

Last year, Hyndburn Council committed itself to reopening the Oswaldtwistle venue, but uncertainty remains over the cost of the repairs needed. Cannock Chase District Council has consulted the public on plans to close permanently the Prince of Wales, with a decision to be announced in February; 20,000 people signed a Change.org petition opposing closure.

The three other new entries are The Brunton in Musselburgh, East Lothian, The Harlequin in Redhill, Surrey, and Motherwell Concert Hall and Theatre, Lanarkshire, all of which have closed after the discovery of dangerous Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) within their structures; both the Brunton and Motherwell Concert Hall face demolition. The Trust says 22 performance venues have been reported to have RAAC present, five of which have since reopened after remedial work, with a further six planning to reopen this year.

‘Each of the five theatres we’ve added to the Register is an important asset for its community,’ says Joshua McTaggart, the Theatres Trust director. ‘These are the only places within their local area where people can come together to experience the joy of theatre, whether that is amateur or professional. We appreciate the difficult funding decisions faced by local authorities, especially the particularly tricky cases where the “crumbling” concrete RAAC is present. However, short-term savings from funding cuts will have long-term negative impacts on the wellbeing of residents, community civic pride and the local economy.’ Jack Watkins

Salmon fishing and other stories

When it comes to casting a fly or landing a fish, there are few better than Marina Gibson. She joined the Country Life Podcast (which is back this week) to talk about why she was pouring whisky into the Tay at Gleneagles, the state of Britain's rivers and waterways, and all things angling.

Tup of the pops

It’s the question that’s been on everyone’s lips since 2024 became 2025: Who has been crowned Sheep of the Year? Thankfully, the results are now in and this year’s (well, last year’s) winner is Pam the Poll Dorset Valais, as well as her three Valais Blacknose lambs.

This is the inaugural competition, which has grown from the success of British Wool’s Sheep of the Week Instagram story, where entrants are submitted from farmers from across the country. The shortlist was whittled down to 12 months, and the public decided that Pam was the best sheep. Looking at Pam, we would agree.

‘We wanted to bring a little bit of joy to January and get the nation involved in one of our most-loved traditions – because who doesn’t feel uplifted by adorable photos of sheep!’, said Graham Clark, managing director of British Wool. ‘We might handle and grade the wool we receive, but this is all about putting the fuzzy faces that provide it for us into the spotlight.’

That's all for today, we'll be back tomorrow

Quiz answers

1) George I (ruled 1714–1727)

2) African violet

3) The cornea

4) Lakes

5) Marionette