Wimbledon queue grinds to a halt after family of sleeping BATS were found nesting in dead tree outside All England Club

By LETTICE BROMOVSKY AT WIMBLEDON Published: 17:40, 8 July 2026 | Updated: 17:43, 8 July 2026 Tennis fans were left stunned after discovering the world's most famous queue had ground to a halt because of a family of sleeping bats. Visitors hoping to enter the All England Club on Wednesday morning were stopped by stewards before being ushered through a 30-metre environmental exclusion zone designed to protect the nocturnal mammals nesting in a dead tree beside the Wimbledon Queue. One tennis fan said: 'We were quite surprised and confused to see the queue held up for seemingly no reason. Then we were told it was because of a family of bats in one of the trees and strict rules that mean nobody can stand still within 30 metres. 'Some people were grumbling but we found it quite funny that a family of bats could hold up the world's most famous queue. It's very British. 'We even heard a few people 'shush' others in the queue so the bats weren't disturbed.' The bizarre scenes unfolded on the edge of Wimbledon Park, where thousands of hopeful spectators line up each day in the hope of securing one of the coveted on-the-day tickets for The Championships. Around 10,000 people can pass through the Queue during the tournament, one of British sport's most famous traditions. Tennis fans were left stunned after discovering the world's most famous queue had ground to a halt because of a family of sleeping bats Visitors hoping to enter the All England Club on Wednesday morning were stopped by stewards before being ushered through a 30-metre environmental exclusion zone A hollowed-out dead tree sits beside the route to the ticket sales area and is surrounded by a picket fence carrying signs reading: 'Environmental exclusion zone - do not enter.' Under environmental rules, a 30-metre radius around the tree must remain free of stationary crowds, meaning stewards are forced to temporarily halt the Queue whenever congestion builds up before quickly escorting fans through the protected area. One steward explained: 'We stop them where the bat zone starts, so if the area outside the sales ticket tent is full, we just pause them here until they drip through.' Guests lingering in the exclusion zone were politely encouraged to keep moving by vigilant stewards overseeing the crossing. All bat species are legally protected in Britain, making it an offence to deliberately disturb them or damage their roosts. A steward said the hollow tree is home to two different species of bats and is regularly monitored by ecologists. 'It gets very challenging when they open the ticket desk,' he said. 'You're not going to keep people quiet. At the end of the day, you've got loud traffic driving past. It's about trying to maintain a gap as best you can.' He added that visitors are fascinated once they learn the reason for the hold-up. 'I've asked them to put up a sign with the bat species so at least people know what they're talking about,' he said. Another steward admitted he deliberately avoids mentioning the bats. 'They start looking up and stopping, going 'where are the bats?' he said. Despite the unusual delay, most tennis fans backed the conservation measures. Around 10,000 people can pass through the Queue during the tournament, one of British sport's most famous traditions Enrikas Luckauskas, 21, from London, said: 'I respect it. They could have easily got rid of the bats, so the transparency is nice.' Mike Overton, 79, from Gloucestershire, said: 'We should definitely protect them. I live in the country and we get quite a few bats near us. I'm quite a Batman.' James Robertson, 55, from west London, added: 'I think that's very responsible. 'They don't impact my life negatively at all, so I'm happily to help and support.' The Queue remains one of the defining traditions of Wimbledon, with thousands of fans camping overnight or arriving before dawn in the hope of buying a limited number of Centre Court, No.1 Court, No.2 Court or Grounds Pass tickets on the day. A spokesperson for the AELTC told the Daily Mail: 'The stewardship of our Estate and nature that lives within it is a major consideration as part of the planning and delivery of The Championships.  'We work with a team of experts to mitigate any impact on the habitats and protected species, including bats that live or visit the Grounds. This includes complying with all environmental legislation. 'As part of our plans to transform the former Wimbledon Park golf course we will make significant biodiversity enhancements.  'These include extended broadleaved woodland, new species-rich woodland edge planting, newly created reedbeds around the lake, de-silting of Wimbledon Park Lake, the opening up of two brooks feeding the lake, new acid and neutral grassland, wildlife ponds, swales, and new habitat features for bats, Sand Martins, Kingfishers and eels.'