Why are New Zealand’s bats so unique?
New Zealand’s bats, pekapeka, are our only native land mammals. They evolved for millions of years without stoats, rats, or cats, so they filled roles birds play elsewhere. One species (the lesser short-tailed bat) even forages on the forest floor and helps pollinate native plants like Dactylanthus. Both surviving species are found nowhere else on Earth and depend on old-growth trees for warm, dry roosts.
Because they breed slowly (usually one pup a year) and face introduced predators plus roost loss, they’re now among Aotearoa’s most vulnerable wildlife. When we control predators and protect old trees, bat numbers stabilise and recover — the same conservation mahi every Rotorua Canopy Tours ticket helps fund.
FAQs
Are there bats in New Zealand?
Yes. The long-tailed bat and the lesser short-tailed bat survive today; a third species is most likely extinct.
Why are NZ bats unique?
They’re the only native land mammals here, evolved without land predators, with behaviours (like ground-foraging) rarely seen in bats elsewhere.
Why are NZ bats endangered?
Mainly introduced predators (rats, stoats, cats) and loss of habitat such as old roost trees. Their slow breeding also makes recovery harder.
Where can I see bats in NZ?
At dusk along native forest edges and waterways. Strongholds are usually predator-controlled forests; there are occasional urban records in a few towns.
Do NZ bats have rabies?
New Zealand is rabies-free. Never handle a bat – report injured or grounded bats to local authorities.
Can I see bats on a Rotorua Canopy Tour?
Our tours run in daylight for safety and scenery, so sightings aren’t part of the experience – but your visit directly supports the predator control that helps pekapeka.
How can I help?
Support predator control, protect old trees and forest corridors, and report bat sightings to conservation teams.
Are there bats in Rotorua Canopy Tours’ forest, Ōkoheriki?
Yes! We’re so stoked to confirm pekapeka in Ōkoheriki with acoustic monitoring. Our data logged 5,360 bat call sequences since June, including 1,784 over summer. Hotspots light up around a large rimu near our walkways (674 calls in 14 nights) and a potential roost on our Ultimate Canopy Tour, which peaked at 133 passes in one hour. This is classic edge-foraging bat behaviour.
Your visit to Rotorua Canopy Tours isn’t just epic zipline thrills – it keeps this monitoring and protection possible. Guest funding backs our year-round predator control. In our 6–15 March 2025 monitoring window we recorded mice at 8.20%, rats at 11.05%, and possum activity at 35% on chew cards; that’s after mice fell from 13% (Jul 2024) to 8.2% (Mar 2025) despite a hot, dry summer that favoured rodents. We also lifted possum removals by 300% across the 2024–25 summer, thanks to smarter tactics and rebaiting. This is the kind of on-the-ground mahi that protects bat roosts and nocturnal food webs for our rare, unique mammals.