Endangered bat killed by car

The painted bat hit and killed by a car in the northern province of Phayao early Monday night. (Photo supplied)

PHAYAO: A beautiful, endangered painted bat died after it was hit by a car in Chiang Kham district on Monday.

Ubonrat Donladlee of Ban Kao Charoen said on Wednesday that she heard something hit her car while driving on Monday evening. The following morning she found a small dead bat lodged near the front licence plate.

The bat was small and beautifully coloured. A relative posted photos of it on Facebook and learned it was an endangered painted bat. Mrs Ubonrat said she regretted its death and buried it near her home.

Sutham Adnonla, service chief at the Phu Sang National Park in Phayao, confirmed that bright orange painted bats were an endangered species. Each weighed about 10 grammes and was similar in size to a large butterfly, 15-20 centimetres across the wings.

They normally lived on top of wild banana trees in evergreen forests, not in caves like other bats, he said.

"In a way, the finding of the bat is good news when it comes to natural diversity. It shows that many more painted bats live in the area," Mr Sutham said.