We were so sad to hear that Tony Hutson died on 16 February 2023. Tony was a vital force in the bat world, both locally and globally – and the world of bat conservation will miss his breadth and depth of knowledge, his passion and his humour.

Tony was a founder member of Sussex Bat Group and played a crucial role in setting up the Sussex Bat Appeal to save a derelict stable for greater horseshoe bats in West Sussex. This new roost, which will be a steppingstone to help this rare species return to southeast England, will be a lasting legacy of his life and bat conservation work.

We will hugely miss Tony but will continue his work to conserve threatened bat species.

You can find out more about the appeal here or through Sussex Bat Group’s Just Giving page. Thank you for being part of the recovery of greater horseshoe bats in southeast England.

Photo: Greater horseshoe bat ©Andrew McCarthy

Main photo: Tony Hutson ©Emma Chaplin