Scientists from the Institute of Zoology of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, in collaboration with foreign specialists, have recorded the Turkmen ushan (Plecotus turkmenicus) on Uzbek territory for the first time. This species is a rare and insufficiently studied type of bat.
The discovery was made in the 'Southern Ustyurt' National Park. This species is recognized as extremely rare; previously, information about it was based mainly on data collected before 1970, as well as museum specimens. The Turkmen ushan has been rarely observed in the wild for the past fifty-five years.
The finding resulted from an expedition conducted as part of the international project 'One Health in Nature Conservation'. This project is supported by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Ministry of Environment.
