Story By: Gheorghi Caraseni, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News 

Flat owners were stunned to find 120 hibernating bats camped out in their balcony for the winter.

The large colony of common noctules (Nictaulus noctula) was found at the flat on Verhovinnaya Street in the northern Ukrainian capital Kiev.

According to the NGO ‘Kiev Animal Rescue Group’, there were 120 bats in total and all of them were freed with the exception of one which needed veterinary care.

An NGO spokesperson said the cosy colony was living in the closed-off balcony on the wallpaper and among the furniture.

Kiev Animal Rescue Group also said that the bats did not realise that their winter hibernation home would be in a warm, noisy flat inhabited by people.

Report said that 119 of the 120 bats were released into the wild to find a suitable winter home while one was sent for treatment. It was not specified what was wrong with the winged animal.

Common noctules are a migrating species with female bias as the males do not migrate.

Generally noctule bats live in forests but some populations can be found in towns and cities. There are many noctules in Hamburg, Vienna, Brno and other central European cities.

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