Rare bat pups born at zoo after recent deaths

Jersey Zoo is home to 75% of the global captive population of Livingstone's fruit bats

Twelve pups of an endangered species of bat have been born at Jersey Zoo.

The Livingstone's fruit bat pups were born a couple of weeks after 10 adult bats died from an infection.

Following the diagnosis of Pasteurellosis, a bacterial infection, the 80-strong colony was removed from the public viewing area, split into four groups and the bats were given intensive treatment.

A spokesperson for the zoo said there had been no further deaths and the bat pups and their mothers were "doing well".

The spokesperson said work to develop a vaccine to prevent another outbreak was underway and it would be the first for bats for this type of bacteria.

They said: "As with any new process, it involves working through things systematically and thoroughly."

The team is now considering options for returning the bats to public display.

The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust which owns the zoo said its population makes up 75% of the global captive population of Livingstone's fruit bats.

The trust said there are about 1,000 of the species living in the wild, on the Anjouan and Mohéli islands of the Comoros in the Indian Ocean.