
Photo Credit: Mary Drake, WRRB.
Update on Dlı̨̀ą k'et'aa (Bats) and the Tłı̨chǫ Highway
October 28, 2024
WRRB staff set up Dlı̨̀ą k'et'aa Acoustic Recording Units (ARU) down the Tłı̨chǫ Highway to Whatì
What is an ARU? Autonomous recording units (ARUs) are used to non-invasively monitor the presence of a variety of species such as birds, amphibians, and bats. The brand of ARU that we are using is the Mini Bat Song Meter made by Wildlife Acoustics.
Before WRRB’s trip on May 27, there were no ARUs located on the Tłı̨chǫ Highway to Whatì for dlı̨̀ą k'et'aa monitoring. Dlı̨̀ą k'et'aa (bats) play an important role in our ecosystem by preying on a wide range of insects. Did you know that just one dlı̨̀ą k'et'aa can easily catch 1000 mosquitoes in an hour? There are seven to eight dlı̨̀ą k'et'aa species known to occur in the NWT, but only two have been confirmed in Wek’èezhìı: the little brown myotis and the hoary bat.
The ARUs were recently collected in October by the Tłı̨chǫ Highway Monitors. The data will now be sent to an expert to listen to and identify any dlı̨̀ą k'et'aa species recorded. Masì cho to the Tłı̨chǫ Highway Monitors who helped successfully deploy and recover the ARUs.
The WRRB supports the active Wildlife Research Permit held by the Department of Environment and Climate Change (ECC), GNWT for this work. The dlı̨̀ą k'et'aa data collected by the WRRB, with the help of the Tłı̨chǫ Highway Monitors in Whatì, will be shared with the Tłı̨chǫ Government and ECC to contribute to the overall Bat Monitoring in the NWT program.
If you see a bat, do not handle it, take a photo if you can, and report your observation to wildlifeobs@gov.nt.ca.