Data Sheet

Very little is known about the mysterious Hill’s horseshoe bat. It is endemic to Rwanda, and has only been recorded within Nygunwe National Park. While roosting sites have not been identified, it is thought to roost in caves or old mining tunnels in montane tropical forests. Like other species of Horseshoe Bats, it is insectivorous, but its exact diet and foraging habits are still unknown.

On March 8, 2022, a multi-national team of experts led by Bat Conservation International (BCI), Rwanda Development Board, and the Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association announced the rediscovery of the Hill’s horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hilli), a critically endangered ‘lost species’ not seen in forty years. To support wider efforts to understand and protect imperiled bats, BCI has published records of the rediscovery in their first dataset shared openly through the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. To learn more about this rediscovery, click here.