Air pollution likely reduces hemoglobin levels in urban fruit bats

Air pollution is one of the world's most substantial environmental problems. Air pollution is more severe in urban environments. Besides humans, other animals also inhabit cities. Despite the significant impact of air pollution on health, there is limited research on its effects on wildlife in general and specifically on bats, which are common in cities. Egyptian fruit bats dwell in both rural and urban environments. We assessed the exposure to particulate matter (PM)2.5 pollution and compared it to blood hemoglobin (HGB) levels in fruit bat populations roosting at different degrees of urbanization. We found a significant negative correlation between PM2.5 exposure and HGB levels. Bats that roost and forage in highly urban-polluted areas exhibited low HGB levels. This is a first attempt to examine the effect of urbanization-related pollution on bat health, revealing a negative correlation between air pollution and HGB levels that might detrimentally affect bats’ health in the long run.