Bat roost protection programs conserve critical bat habitat in buildings and natural structures, directly improving welfare for the millions of bats that depend on roosting sites.
Bat roost protection welfare is direct and measurable. Disturbance of maternity roosts during the breeding season causes nursing female bats to abandon pups that are not yet capable of flight. Pups drop from roost sites, falling to cold floors where they die from exposure. This direct welfare harm occurs in proportion to roost disturbance frequency. Bat box installation compensates for roost loss from building renovation and provides welfare benefit directly to roosting bat populations. Legal protection of bat roosts in Europe has reduced disturbance-related welfare harm significantly. Building renovation planning that includes bat survey and roost protection is both legally required and welfare-essential.