The bats inside Bulgarian Devetashka cave, a key spot for spending the
winter season, have come out of hibernation much earlier than usual and
it is unclear how many will survive until spring.
The conclusion was made by the Center for Bat Studies and Protection
after a check of the cave.
Experts, cited by the TV channel bTV, say that all colonies are active
at times they must be in hibernation over the noise and being disturbed
during the recent filming of Hollywood blockbuster "Expendables 2."
Several dead bats have been found inside the cave and the cause is in
the process of being established.
The probe also revealed numerous tire marks, even in protected areas.
The environmentalists conclude the filming had been in violation of the
law since under current legislation the cave can be used only for
tourism and scientific research.
At the end of December, Nikolay Simov, a Bulgarian zoologist from the
Center for Bat Studies and Protection at the Bulgarian Academy of
Sciences, reported that the bat population in the Devetashka Cave has
been reduced to 1/4, after the shooting of the movie.
"The shooting harms the bat habitat - with the placement of props, the
cutting down of vegetation, as well as disturbance by the presence of
large numbers of people and the noise they make," said Simov, pointing
out the special check conducted after the session showed that at present
there are some 8,000 in Devetashka Cave, while last year they were 30 000.
"What is even more alarming for us is that the legal regulations were
not respected. The regional environmental inspectorate has no authority
to give a permit for filming in this protected area," the expert explained.
Simov added that the shooting was also in breach of the Agreement on the
Conservation of Populations of European Bats.
Earlier in November environmentalists protested against the planned
filming of "Expendables 2" in the cave, saying this will disturb and
chase away the animals.
The coming of an all-star team, including Sylvester Stallone, Bruce
Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chuck Norris, and others, has been a
media sensation in Bulgaria.
At the same time, the Devetashka Cave in central northern Bulgaria,
Lovech Region, is considered one of the most important bat habitats in
Europe.
Also see http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=n266010 about upcoming
lawsuits concerning this.
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