A Nathusius’ pipistrelle, a rare breeding bat classed as nearly threatened in the UK, has been confirmed roosting in woodland near a Yorkshire Water reservoir close to Sheffield. The discovery is the first confirmed record of the species in South Yorkshire and suggests recently installed bat boxes are already supporting local wildlife conservation.

Environmental DNA swabs from a bat box detected the bat in March, before a follow-up survey physically recorded one at a nearby box in April. Yorkshire Water installed the boxes in 2025 through its conservation programme; ecologists say eDNA sampling can monitor many sites more efficiently than one-off visual inspections and could improve understanding of where species occur.