Bat Appreciation Week

Bats are often misunderstood, feared and underestimated creatures. Because of their appearance and roosting, people do not want them near their homes and try to get rid of them. However, many people realize that they are important, which is why Bat Appreciation Week is held every year.

About Bat Appreciation Week

Bats need to be cared for, which is why there are strong efforts to protect them. In 1982, biologist Merlin Devere Tuttle founded Bat Conservation International, an organization dedicated to preventing their extinction and protecting the ecosystem. Bat Appreciation Week was then established in the early 2000s and is held annually. This international event aims to raise awareness of the need to protect bats, as they are extremely important to the healthy functioning of nature. Bats are often denigrated and few people realise the contribution they make: first and foremost, they feed on many insects, which helps protect crops.

They are, after all, one of the oldest mammals on the planet, and are thought to have lived here more than 50 million years ago. In total, there are around 1,500 species. Yet they are negatively perceived, so this holiday seeks to debunk myths about them and increase their positive aura. Bat Appreciation Week has a fixed date, which is why it is celebrated from October 24 to 31 every year.

Threats

Bat populations are facing huge die-offs around the world. This is due to numerous threats that make it difficult for them to survive. These include loss of habitat, destruction of roosts and climate change. All of these problems reduce the insects’ numbers, so they lose their main source of food. They are also struggling with the use of pesticides and intensive agriculture.

A fungal disease called white-nose syndrome is also a major problem. It emerged in 2006 and has spread widely across North America. In total, it has killed 5 million bats. The disease is easily transmitted and can kill entire colonies of bats.

Conservation efforts

The first step in getting involved in bat conservation is spreading awareness of the importance of bats to nature. Until people are aware that they are not pests and realize their positive benefits, changes will be difficult to enforce. However, you yourself can look after their habitat and take certain precautions. In particular, provide them with a dark and undisturbed place, plant plants in the garden that will attract insects, do not use pesticides and if a bat gets where it shouldn’t, drive it away humanely.