Eisleben, 21 May 2026
In an unusual twist, bats are turning highway bridges into their homes, prompting experts to monitor these structures for conservation efforts.
Every spring, bat expert Marcus Fritze embarks on a 'bridge tour,' inspecting highway structures that have become unintended habitats for bats. Under one bridge, he counted around 300 bats, highlighting the scale of this phenomenon.
"When the sun shines on the roof tiles in late April or early May, temperatures rise sharply," explains Fritze, noting how bridges provide ideal warm spots for bats.
The trend poses challenges for infrastructure projects, where time constraints often limit thorough wildlife surveys. "Sometimes there's simply no time for extensive investigations," sources close to such projects admit.