Learning about Bats

Today was an inspirational day for me. After dinner we walked to Bajo del Tigre to meet with a bat biologist. He went to school for zoology and found himself stuck in Monte Verde assisting in bat research. He has discovered amazing behavioral adaptations and species variations that make bats incredibly unique. He has also unfortunately found a rapid decline in bat populations in monteverde and all over the world. The loss is directly attributed to human intervention and is a big part of ecosystem decline. An unhealthy bat population means an unhealthy forest due to their roles in disease prevention and pollination. They are effected by pesticide use, habitat loss and unfortunately wind energy as the change in pressure causes their lungs to explode before they can realize they’ve gotten to close to a wind mil. He caught and showed us 5 different species of bats and had plenty to tell us about each one. I have never learned so much about one mammal in such a short amount of time! These adorable little creatures are social and intelligent and I feel so inspired to create awareness and end the negative stigma that bats have. I feel so lucky to be in such a beautiful place, learning so much about the efforts that can be done to conserve and protect bioindicators like bats!

 

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