Jerma’s accidental rewilding: Bat roosts and lizards

Cracked concrete, abandoned corridors and neglected planter beds are unlikely places to look for a lesson in rewilding. Yet, since the Jerma Palace Hotel closed its doors in March 2007, nature has been quietly reclaiming its ruins.

The decaying landmark on the Marsaskala coast has gradually transformed into an accidental laboratory for the ecological changes that can unfold when people leave a place behind.

Vegetation has taken root in the decaying structures, lizards bask on perimeter walls, and the hotel's inaccessible dark interior spaces probably provide shelter for bats. Beneath the accumulated leaf litter, soil organisms and microorganisms contribute to the ecological processes sustaining this improvised wilderness.

A terrestrial ecology impact assessment submitted with plans to redevelop the 44,812sq.m site documents this gradual transformation, while warning that demolition and construction of a new resort could destroy potential habitats established during years of neglect.

Prepared by environmental consultants Sacha Dunlop and Elena Portelli of AIS Environment Ltd for Jerma Developments Ltd as part of a wider Environmental Impact Assessment, the report identifies the loss of potential bat roosts as a major adverse ecological impact.

During the May 2026 survey, ecologists could not access the hotel’s central and northern interior, where shadowy concrete spaces and unlit corridors could provide potential roosting sites for bats. Entryways were blocked by large concrete blocks, preventing a physical inspection of these areas.

Although no bat roosts had previously been recorded on site, their presence is considered probable. Abandoned structures can provide suitable roosting crevices, while the adjacent coastal garigue offers potential foraging grounds.

The uncertainty makes a pre-construction survey by a certified bat specialist a key mitigation measure. Before demolition begins, the specialist must inspect the building’s interior to establish whether bats are present, identify any species found and safely relocate individuals before works commence.

To compensate for the loss of potential roosting habitat, the consultants also recommend constructing dedicated bat roosting areas or installing artificial bat boxes within the new development, providing alternative refuges after the hotel is demolished.

An unexpected refuge

The assessment records an endemic Filfla wall lizard (Podarcis filfolensis) basking along the perimeter walls. The sheltered grounds and structures could also provide cover for Moorish wall geckos, Western whip snakes, Mediterranean chameleons, Algerian hedgehogs and Maltese pygmy shrews, although these are identified as potential inhabitants rather than confirmed sightings.

Vegetation has similarly colonised the abandoned complex. Protected caper bushes (Capparis orientalis) grow directly from degraded structural surfaces, while cultivated Canary Island spurge (Euphorbia canariensis) and hoary stock (Matthiola sp.) survive in former planter beds.

The site also contains extensive growth of invasive Hottentot fig (Carpobrotus edulis) and great reed (Arundo donax), alongside agave plants. Established trees include a weeping fig (Ficus daniella), date palms (Phoenix dactylifera) and ten protected tamarisk trees (Tamarix sp.).

Decades of accumulated leaf litter have also fostered communities of soil-dwelling invertebrates and microorganisms, which contribute to nutrient cycling and sustain the site’s ecological functions.

Jerma’s ecological transformation is not necessarily a story of pristine nature returning. The site contains invasive vegetation alongside protected plants and potential wildlife habitat. But its abandonment offers a glimpse of how even heavily altered environments can acquire ecological functions when human activity recedes.

Protected trees to be transplanted

All 10 protected tamarisk trees earmarked for removal are to be carefully transplanted to the sea-facing edge of the new resort.

The landscaping scheme includes 1,325sq.m of soft landscaping planted with salt-tolerant native species. Excavated soil is to be retained for reuse in these areas, helping establish vegetation within the redeveloped site.

Further measures are proposed to limit disturbance to wildlife during construction and after the resort opens. Night-time construction is prohibited under the recommended measures, while permanent lighting must use downward-facing, warm-wavelength fixtures to reduce disturbance to nocturnal fauna.

Acoustic barriers and enforced quiet hours are also proposed to limit the effects of heavy excavation and construction noise.

The consultants conclude that, with the recommended mitigation measures, the residual impact on local bat populations could be reduced from major to moderate.

The redevelopment raises a question that extends beyond the fate of a derelict hotel though: How much of the ecological value accumulated over nearly 20 years of abandonment can survive the site’s transformation?

Artificial roosts, transplanted trees and new landscaping may replace some of what is lost, but the existing building itself has become a potential habitat.

The proposed redevelopment envisages two eight-storey blocks rising above two basement levels, with a 134-room five-star hotel, 155 residential apartments and 258 serviced apartments. The project also includes retail and catering outlets, a below-ground shopping mall and 570 parking spaces, alongside a landscaped public plaza and 13,600sq.m of public open space.