VIDEO. It creates a refuge for bats

The fortress of Salses-le-Château contains a very special place: a refuge which shelters 12 of the 35 species of bats existing in France. “We try to reconcile the reception of the public in the monument and the conservation of bats” explains Julien Robert, project manager at Natura 2000. “These animals are a little unloved. We think of Dracula when in fact, they are really fabulous. They are the only flying mammals in the animal kingdom that are capable of active flight.”

Bats directly threatened by pesticides

Some species present in the fortress are considered rare and threatened throughout the European Union. They are threatened “due to the use of pesticides which will largely reduce their food resources, to the extent that all species in France are insectivorous. Afterwards, we will also have threats on their movements. Bats use a sonar system, so they need obstacles to move around, so they used hedgerows a lot to be able to move around. The disappearance of hedges will fragment their habitat,” specifies Julien Robert.