Have You Seen the Bat Like a Panda? They Are Even Rarer Than Pandas
The Chinese name for this bat is: Spectacled bat, also known as badger bat, commonly called 'panda bat'.
Discovered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1939, it was considered a man-made composite animal specimen when it was first sent to the laboratory. This is similar to the situation with the first research on the platypus.
After careful identification by biologists, this species was found to be previously undescribed, a newly discovered species.
It was not formally named until 2011, and its unique shape and body structure led to its classification as a new genus - Niumbaha.
As of 2013, only 5 live specimens of Spectacled bat have been discovered and captured. This species is very rare. The designation Niumbaha comes from the Zande language meaning 'rare'.
The distribution range of the Spectacled bat includes the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and South Sudan, inhabiting subtropical or tropical forests and rainforests.
Although individuals are very few, they are largely undisturbed by humans due to the remote nature of their distribution areas, and it is estimated that their population numbers are considerable.
Currently, the conservation status of the Spectacled bat is: Least Concern
