Bats face multiple anthropogenic threats including habitat loss, wind turbine collisions, and white-nose syndrome. Conservation efforts that also consider individual bat welfare are gaining attention.
Bat welfare intersects with conservation in important ways. Mass mortality events from white-nose syndrome and wind turbine strikes cause suffering at the individual level as well as population decline. Conservation measures that protect roosts, reduce turbine mortality through operational changes, and support disease research also benefit individual bat welfare. Recognising bats as individuals with welfare interests as well as conservation value broadens the ethical case for their protection.