Wildlife enthusiasts were thrilled when a rare trefoil horseshoe bat, an endangered species native to Singapore, was sighted at Lower Peirce Reservoir on April 23.
Despite a family emergency, Ms Rovena Chow, 52, made time to see the elusive bat after hearing about the sighting from her friend, Ms Joanne Toh. “I was really happy… we don’t see this bat often,” said Ms Chow, who later posted a video of the bat on the Nature Society Singapore Facebook page.
According to the National Parks Board (NParks), the trefoil horseshoe bat inhabits forests in Singapore’s Central Catchment Nature Reserve and Pulau Tekong. It is nocturnal, feeds on insects, and rests under large leaves. The bat is recognised by its pale yellowish-brown to greyish-brown fur and a distinctive yellowish, horseshoe-shaped noseleaf.
Ms Toh, 56, who frequently posts on the Singapore Wildlife Sightings page, first encountered the bat in 2023. She didn’t realise it was rare until friends helped identify the species. Since then, she’s spotted it four more times, including recently with her friends Art Toh and his wife.
“It is very difficult to spot this species,” she said, noting that Mr Toh, a 69-year-old wildlife photographer, was especially thrilled. “He has been trying to find this bat for a long time.”
Mr Toh described the bat as “very different” from others he’s seen. “It has huge ears and its face looks like a pig,” he said.
Besides Singapore, the trefoil horseshoe bat is found in India, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo and Java.
