Enigmatic and mysterious are not often words used to describe bats, but Dorset’s own “batman” Colin Morris insists they are just misunderstood.

“There’s nothing I enjoy more than going out and playing with my bats,” he smiles.

Colin was surrounded by wildlife growing up in the country and, after taking up a career in roof tiling, developed a particular interest in bats.

“I thought they were very interesting creatures, knew they were protected, so every time I came into contact with them, I had to ask for advice,” he explains.

“They saw I was interested in them and said I should join the local bat group.”

Colin applied for a bat license, so he could handle the protected creatures, and began doing voluntary work, before The Vincent Wildlife Trust offered him a contract in 1991.

Knowing his particular passion for the Greater Horseshoe bat, which has a large population in Dorset, his work primarily entailed looking after that species.

He now manages the largest Greater Horseshoe reserve in Western Europe, in Buckfastleigh, Devon, where there are more than 1,500 adult bats and more than 700 babies, as well as managing 40 nature reserves in England, Northern Ireland and Wales, and, for the last ten years, has worked on the largest study of Bechstein’s bats in the UK.

“It’s getting paid for your hobby,” he says.

But it’s clear that, for Colin, who lives in Blandford, bats are more than just a hobby.

His office is plastered with photos and posters of various bats, and he has boxes and boxes of different species preserved all around the room.

But just what is the fascination with these creatures, who are, admittedly, very cute close up?

“Initially, it was knowing something about an animal that not many people know much about,” Colin explains.

“I always had a quest for knowledge. To get the opportunity to study these animals close up was something I couldn’t resist.”

Colin now manages what he calls “bat hotels”, ensuring the buildings where they live are warm and secure and that the insect population in the vicinity is thriving for them.

“A bat hotel is no good if you haven’t got a restaurant,” he says.

All 17 species of bat – all of which are found in Dorset – are protected in the UK, and new varieties are being discovered all the time.

The whiskered bat was only discovered in 1973, in the last ten years the Pipistrelle species has been split into the Common Pipistrelle and the Soprano Pipistrelle, and a Geoffroy’s bat was discovered in Bath and in West Sussex just last year.

DNA testing means it is easier to identify new species, but Colin stresses that bats are still in trouble.

“Some bat numbers are increasing slowly, but most are still on the edge of serious decline and extinction.

“It’s due to habitat change mostly. Gone are the days when in all the fields you used to see cows grazing – people have crops now and they have to use pesticides.

“If you haven’t got the insects there for the bats to feed on, they’re gone.

“There are 8,500 estimated Greater Horseshoe bats in the UK, they’re still on a knife edge.”

Colin focuses on looking after the bat population, but is also on a mission to dispel their bad press.

“People tend to focus on the negatives,” he sighs.

“They’re clean, social animals, whose nocturnal habits have led them to be misunderstood. There’s no disease associated with them.

“If you say they’re a big pest controller, they’re not so bad after all.

“Peaches, figs and bananas are all pollinated by bats and the agave plant is pollinated by the species of long-nosed bat. Without those nectar-feeding bats, you would never have tequila.

“People say ‘they’re swooping at me’. But if anyone walks across a meadow in the summer you’re surrounded by midges. They’re still there at night – you’ve got a flying larder around you.”

Anyone wishing to remove bats from their loft must contact Natural England, who will ascertain how important the roost is. There are ways to minimise the noise, or apply for a licence to have them evicted.

But Colin, who gives talks all over Europe on bat boxes, hopes that, once people understand bats, they will grow to love them as much as he does.

“Every day I get up and smile and say ‘Great, I’m going to work’,” he says.

  • Colin was recently awarded the prestigious Pete Best Award at the UK’s National Bat Conference at Warwick University for his years of voluntary and professional dedication.

The award is given in memory of Pete Guest who was an inspirational figure in the bat conservation movement for more than 20 years.

Each year, the bat world is invited to nominate individuals who have made an outstanding practical contribution to bat conservation.

The criteria for the award include: dedication, innovation, enthusiasm and inspiration in making a difference, both to bats and to people, helping make the Bat Conservation Trust’s (BCT) vision become a reality.