Do more bats live in urban areas or wild areas?

There are probably more than 30 species of bats living in the US and Canada. Only a few of the bats come into contact with humans in urban areas. Due to the bat’s slow pace in reproduction rate, there is a huge possibility that bats could become extinct.

This is true especially in urban areas where bats are seen and killed because of their encounters with humans. Little brown bats or evening bats have long been battling to survive, but they also cause problems for humans too.

Bats live in colonies and when they are in urban areas, they inhabit houses. Particular areas such as rooftops are often found to be a comfortable living space for bats. The urban dwellers are increasingly worried about the presence of these bats. Yes, they should be living wildly in caves, but given the migrations and climate change, these bats somehow make their way to the city.

The next concern would be how the development in urban areas has caused danger for these wildlife animals. When their natural habitat is eradicated to make way for urban development, the bats typically try to find new homes within the urban areas. In this case the animals are in danger of being killed by humans, and they may cause car accidents. These animals can also carry diseases with them that can be harmful to humans. Simply put, it adds more chaos to the city.

Researchers found that many bats camp in urban areas. The number has risen and has become a concern in many cities. They occupy various buildings and household environments. A survey from 2002 shows that more bats are living in urban areas, and the number has nearly doubled.

Further studies also reveal that these bats do not simply leave their habitat to be in the urban areas. However, they do find comfort in the perks city life offers such as easy access to food. Many wildlife removal services are called to eradicate bats when they inhabit a building where they are not welcome. Despite the need for this animal to be present in the life cycle, people are also worried that they will disturb the peacefulness of a city in addition to the fear that the number of viruses transmitted from bats to human will also increase.

So to answer the question, traditionally more bats have lived in the wild, but bats are now living in urban areas in increasing numbers due to easy access to food supply and urban development overtaking their natural habitat.

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