Scientists in Uganda have released startling footage of an Egyptian free-tailed bat cave being attacked by 14 different predators, including leopards, blue monkeys and eagles.
Python Cave in Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park is home to approximately 40,000 Egyptian free-tailed bats. Roosts are known reservoirs for the deadly Marburg virus, so studying these interactions could help researchers understand how the virus moves between species and how some animals build immunity.
The findings, which include never-before-seen behaviors of African leopards and luri monkeys attacking roosts, were published in the journal Cell Press. current biology.
“Our cameras recorded 14 predators feeding on the Egyptian free-tailed bat,” says study author Alexander Braczkowski, scientific director of the Cambra Lion Project. Braczkowski points out that the bat colony is infected with the Marburg virus, which can be transmitted to humans and cause a deadly hemorrhagic fever similar to Ebola. Despite this, researchers have “seen leopards, blue monkeys, and even Nile monitor lizards and crested eagles all hunting bats,” he says.
The research team uses camera traps to observe the animals. “This minimizes behavioral effects,” Braczkowski explains. Since they began monitoring Python Cave in February 2025, they have spent 360 nights recording footage of the cave.
During their monitoring, the researchers witnessed a variety of predators descending into the bat caves to hunt. Their video montage shows a leopard rushing out of a cave with a bat in its mouth, a monkey grabbing a bat in its hand and running away, and an eagle pinning a struggling bat with one foot and grabbing the victim in its talons as it tries to squirm away.
Scientists believe this footage may be the first example of multiple different predators hunting a species that carries the deadly filovirus.
Researchers knew they were witnessing something important. “We were very excited as a team to capture those actions,” Braczkowski says. “This is the most comprehensive visual dataset of animals from around the world interacting with filoviruses, which is of significant concern to humans.”
Python caves are different from many other roosting places because bats cannot hide in high places that are out of reach. “A large guano mound and part of the cave roof fell, disrupting the spatial buffer between predators and bats,” the study authors wrote. “We have recorded instances of bats falling, crawling, and occupying crevices in overcrowded conditions,” they added.
The researchers observed different species hunting together in the cave, suggesting that prey was so abundant that predators didn’t need to be as territorial as usual. “We even recorded a conflict between a crested eagle and a Nile monitor lizard over bat prey,” the authors say.
Researchers emphasize that predation may be a means of spreading dangerous viruses to other animals. That’s why studying these interactions “could be important in understanding how viruses jump out of species, in this case.” [an] Egyptian free-tailed bats – to intermediate hosts like blue macaques and leopards,” Braczkowski said, adding that it could also provide important information about how some animals build immunity to prevent infection.
Marburg virus can be transmitted directly to humans from bats (or via an intermediate animal contaminated with the virus). That’s why the authors say it’s of particular concern that the cameras also captured 214 people who visited the cave, including school groups, potentially putting them at risk of infection.
“Only one person (a tourist) was wearing a mask, and many came within a few meters of the cave entrance. They violated park regulations and bypassed the designated viewing platform, which is about 30 meters from the cave,” the authors added. “This represents a significant opportunity for human infection in this known Marburg virus bat reservoir.”
The authors highlight the need for stricter regulations regarding bat ecotourism, recommending protective equipment, distancing, and the use of locally trained guides.
Image and video credit: Bosco Atukwatse/Kyambura Lion Project
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