Story Archive

Bats in the Belfry

In Norfolk, England, many old barns are being converted to homes, bringing an unexpected side effect: bats are moving out of the barns and into medieval churches. The Rt Rev. Graham James spoke out in support of a bat conservation bill to remove bat protection laws in some churches. Because worshippers had “come to the end of their tether” when their “glorious building” became “increasingly unusable for worship or any other community purpose.” It’s estimated that 60 percent of pre 16th century churches have bat roosts, and old deterrence methods aren’t working anymore. “I used to recommend the regular use of incense, partly because I’m very High Church, and love incense, and bats appear very Protestant, since they normally departed where incense was used,” James said. “But even that is not now guaranteed to do the trick.” The Bat Conservation Trust is opposing the bill, saying that it would be “disastrous for those bat species that rely on churches.” (MS/London Telegraph) ...If the bats converted to Catholicism, maybe they’d leave the Church of England alone.