Hollywood superstars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone are
under fire from animal activists after they woke up one of Europe's
biggest colonies of hibernating bats to film their latest movie.
Now it is feared the confused bats may starve in their thousands because
the lights and cameras have disturbed their winter sleep, leaving them
dazed and confused.
Stallone, Arnie and a legion of aging Tinseltown hard-man actors
including Bruce Willis and Chuck Norris, together with their crew,
ventured into the batcave in Bulgaria to film 'The Expendables 2' - the
famous Devetashka system which wildlife experts say is a vital refuge
for hibernating bats.
They accuse the authorities responsible for it of gross negligence in
letting Hollywood loose in it during winter.
A team of biologists and wildlife conservationists who inspected the
batcave after filming found the bats seemed unsettled and awake when
they should have been asleep.
Only 10,000 bats were found in the cave; a fraction of the 35,000 who
spent the winter of 2010 there, leading to fears many died as a result
of their broken sleep or fled to try to find a more peaceful refuge.
The energy levels of the remaining bats are extremely low due to the
stress of the noise and commotion they had to put up with,' said a
conservationist.
'This was just so wrong.
Andreas Streit, spokesman for the Eurobats conservation agreement, said:
'The film company used heavy machinery to prepare the cave for filming.
It is one of the three biggest hibernation sites for bats in Europe.
'Bulgarian authorities should not have permitted filming in the cave in
winter when the animals need their rest.'
A team of delegates from the European Commission has arrived in Bulgaria
to assess the damage.
At present delegates from the European Commission are in the cave to
assess the damage.
The 'Expendables 2' also features Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph
Lundgren playing a team of mercenaries. It is due to be screened this
summer.
