The method used for counting the bats is to count them using clickers. Every evening, the fruit bats start flying from the forest at 18:45 to 19:20. They take a period of 30 to 35 minutes. They fly to the mainland and they follow the same direction, flying above the staff quarters.

Therefore, we use the clickers every time we are counting and it is always three people, and we count until they are all out, then we add the totals together. 

There are not many Eidolon helvum colonies remaining in the West Nile region. These are mostly located in urban and peri-urban areas or along main roads. The only relatively safe or stable colonies are those located within premises of public institutions. Prevailing news linking emergence of Covid-19 pandemic and others like Ebola to bats pose a serious challenge to the survival of bat colonies in the areas I monitor.