From Terror to Tourist Attraction
As people learn to appreciate bats, these fascinating animals are paving the way for popular tourist attractions. When 1.5 million free-tailed bats began moving into crevices beneath the Congress Avenue Bridge in downtown Austin, Texas, health officials warned that they were rabid and dangerous, and local people wanted the bats eradicated. However, through the educational efforts of Bat Conservation International (BCI), fears were calmed, and in more than 30 years, not a single person has been harmed. The bats consume roughly 15 tons of insects nightly and attract 12 million tourist dollars each summer, clearly demonstrating the value of bats to our environment and economies.
Year of the Bat 2011-2012
Unfortunately, many people in other locations around the world still misunderstand, fear and persecute bats at great harm to themselves. Too many have heard only of vampires and disease, both of which have been greatly exaggerated by sensational media stories.
Needlessly fearful humans, in Latin America, have mistakenly destroyed thousands, even millions of highly beneficial bats at a time by sealing, burning or poisoning roosts, especially in caves, and many more bats have been lost through simple neglect of their conservation needs.
Ironically, even the common vampire bat of Latin America has proven useful. A new drug, Desmoteplase, developed from research on vampire saliva, appears to greatly improve treatment of stroke victims, a potentially enormous contribution to human well-being. Who would have thought that a bat – and a vampire, at that – could help save countless lives?
Year of the Bat (2011-2012) celebrations will highlight bat values and needs, providing unique introductions to these incredibly fascinating animals that unfortunately rank among our planet’s least understood and most rapidly declining and endangered animals. But as more people learn about and account for the ecosystem services provided by bats, greater conservation efforts will be made to ensure the survival of these fascinating and essential creatures.
Year of the Bat 2011-2012 is a global campaign to promote conservation, research and education about the world’s only flying mammals. Year of the Bat is supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) and EUROBATS, as well as numerous partner organizations around the world.
Additional information for this article was provided by The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB).
Source: UNEP.
