For the last month, a team has been tracking long-tailed bats at Te Hoiere / Pelorus between Nelson and Blenheim.
The long-tailed bat or pekapeka-tou-roa was declared "Bird of the Year" in 2021 and is a nationally critical species.
Young bats have been found roosting in new areas at Pelorus - but it will take a team effort to ensure their survival.
Samantha Gee went in search of one of our smallest mammals.