ENDANGERED ‘RED BATS’ SPOTTED

[Anchor Lead]

Red bats, a natural heritage of Korea and a highly endangered wild species, are hard to find these days. Recently, this rare animal was spotted in a building in the city of Jeju. Take a look.

[Pkg]

Red bats are the size of an adult's palm and have golden brown fur. They are a natural heritage of Korea and an endangered species of the highest category 1. The animal was spotted recently on the second floor of an office building in downtown Jeju.

[Soundbite] KIM YOUNG-OK(WITNESS) : "They came to our office in search of a warm place. They were hanging on a wall next to the warehouse. I mistook them for twigs and touched them, but they turned out to be bats."

The bats apparently chose the building for hibernation, which lasts from late fall to spring. After checking the animals' health, the Jeju Wildlife Rescue Center immediately relocated them to Manjang Cave on Jejudo Island.

[Soundbite] HAN JAE-HO(VETERINARIAN, JEJU WILDLIFE RESCUE CENTER) : "We chose this cave because it has consistent temperature and humidity levels and can protect the bats from predators."

Experts say the appearance of red bats in a downtown area signals a damaged natural habitat, which needs to be examined to protect the endangered species.