A mass mortality event involving two bat species, the wrinkle-lipped free-tailed bat ( Chaerephon plicatus ) and Theobold's bat ( Taphozous theobaldi ) occurred during a heat wave in April 2016 in Cambodia.
Field evidences, clinical signs, and gross pathology findings were consistent with a heat stress hypothesis, but the detection of a novel bat paramyxovirus raises questions about its role as a contributing factor or a coincidental finding.
Systematic documentation of bat die-offs related to extreme weather events is necessary to improve understanding of the effect of changing weather patterns on bat populations and the ecosystem services they provide.
###
European Journal of Wildlife Research