Scotonycteris zenkeri is a foliage-roosting species found in lowland pristine and moderately disturbed forests and has been recorded up to 1,100 m on Mt Kupe and Rumbi Hills in Cameroon (Eisentraut 1973). It forages in forest understory as most captures are with ground-level mist-nets (Eisentraut 1973, Mongombe et al. 2020, Obitte Unpubl. data) and two individuals in harp traps in southeastern Nigeria (Tanshi Unpubl. data).

This species is restricted to southwestern Cameroon and southeastern Nigeria. Populations east of the River Niger are small fitting with Scotonycteris zenkeri. On the other hand, morphology of records from western Nigeria and the upper Guinean forest fits S. occidentalis (Happold and Happold 1978, Tanshi et al. 2019). The western limit of the species range in the Niger Delta remains unknown.

Most of the population are in protected areas, but enforcement is necessary to reduce the high rate of logging in these PAs. In addition, awareness is required to educate farmers in boundary communities on best practices in Agriculture. Intensive surveys are needed to quantify this species population. Molecular analysis is needed to resolve taxonomy of the Nigerian population, especially to establish the western limits of the species range within the Niger Delta. In addition, satellite tracking is critical for clear understanding of its roosting ecology and home range.