Rediscovery of the critically endangered Hill's horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hilli) and other new records of bat species in Rwanda

For forty years, there has been growing uncertainty about whether Hill's horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hilli) still persists in Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda. Only known from one small area within the National Park, R. hilli is listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), based on its extremely small geographic range and presumed low number of mature individuals. Here, we present and describe bat species occurrence data contributed to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) that we collected as part of a long-term collaborative project to rediscover this lost species. This data paper describes the survey methods and findings resulting from cave roost surveys, capture surveys, and acoustic sampling of bat echolocation activity in Nyungwe National Park and surrounding areas in south-western Rwanda from 2013-2020 and their conservation relevance.

Automated summary

There has been uncertainty about the existence of Hill's horseshoe bat in Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda for forty years. This data paper presents and describes bat species occurrence data collected as part of a long-term collaborative project to rediscover this critically endangered species. It emphasizes the importance of these data for conservation efforts.