Bats Freed in Ukraine: Hope Amid War

0:00It's April 6th. Welcome to Global News Today, powered by AI. I'm Cory with the story. In Ukraine, volunteers just released hundreds of bats into the twilight at a nature park near Kiev, drawing over 1,000 cheering spectators like families and off-duty soldiers. These events kicked off spring by freeing bats rescued from war zones in the east, organized by the Ukrainian Bat Rehabilitation Center to protect endangered species. All 28 bat species in the country are legally protected, with populations dropping fast due to habitat loss. The center has saved more than 30,000 bats overall, including 4,000 just last winter. For folks there, it was a bright spot after a brutal season of sub-zero cold, constant Russian drone and missile strikes, and widespread power outages. Attendee said it reminds everyone that life pushes forward even in wartime. The war scatters these insect-eating bats too, wrecking their hibernation spots and bomb buildings and scaring them from rest.

1:01They reproduce slowly, just one or two pups a year, so colonies bounce back at a crawl if disturbed. Volunteers keep at it, knowing if they stop, thousands more bats face death-proving small acts of care build resilience amid the chaos.