Accidental Hitchhikers: 45 Years of Post‐Border Interceptions of Non‐Native Bats (Chiroptera) in Aotearoa New Zealand

Aotearoa New Zealand's isolation means endemic bats may be naïve to infections commonplace elsewhere. To understand risks to endemic bats from unintentionally transported and introduced species, we collated records of non‐native bat species intercepted post‐border from 1980 to 2025. During this period, there were twenty confirmed post‐border interception events of non‐native bats including one instance of three dead bats; 22 individuals, 14 taxa, 4 Families. Almost half (46%) of these interceptions occurred between January 2020 and August 2024. Most species had not been recorded previously here. Bats arrived from Australia (42%), Asia (42%), South America (11%) and the Middle East (5%) by ship (83%) or plane (17%). Ports of Auckland was the entry point for most post‐border interceptions (40%), likely due to higher volumes of imported goods. Establishment is unlikely; most were solitary, dead on arrival and of tropical origins. Species were relatively common, used a wide range of habitats at their places of origin, with tolerance to some extent of anthropogenic habitats. Many were known vectors for diseases and pathogens that adversely affect humans and other bat species. The current vigilant approach to biosecurity is therefore justified. Maintaining strong relationships and processes between organisations at all levels will help maintain good reporting levels.