Eggenberg Castle

Dispute over rare bats culminates in complaint

Austria's last colony of the greater horseshoe bat is at home in Eggenberg Palace in Graz. For now - because lax protection measures are increasingly endangering the rare species. The state and Joanneum are now facing criticism. 

With a wingspan of up to 40 centimetres, the horseshoe bat is one of the largest bat species in Europe. Due to the use of pesticides and the resulting loss of food supply, the animal is now acutely threatened with extinction.