WEIRD SCIENCE

Bats: the original social distancers

BATS have been practising social distancing long before human beings caught on, according to scientists.

Researchers at Tel Aviv University injected Egyptian fruit bats with a bacteria-like protein that stimulated an immune response and then, using GPS technology, monitored how they interacted with their colony.

They discovered that the injected bats kept their distance from the other bats for several days. Research student Maya Weinburg said this behaviour was believed to be an attempt to prevent the pathogen spreading to others.