Conservation

Merlin Tuttle speaking at the Taiwan National Museum of Natural Science in 2016, aided by an interpreter. Conservation

Merlin Tuttle giving a public lecture on bats at the Formosan Golden Bats' Home in Taiwan, with Joe Chun-Chia Huang translating. This is an elementary school where bats are enthuastically protected in 120 bat houses on the premises. Conservation

Thrash (Heng-Chia Chang), teacher and founder of the Formosan Golden Bats' Home education center at the Sheng-zheng Elementary School in Taiwan. They now educate 20,000 visitors annually. Conservation

A volunteer introduces a visitor to bats at The Formosan Golden Bats' Home museum at the Sheng-zheng Elementary School in Taiwan. Conservation

As a teacher interested in nature, Thrash (Heng-Chia Chang) became fascinated by golden bats he found roosting in his school yard. When he learned they were rare and declining, he organized community participation to make the Sheng-zheng Elementary School a special bat sanctuary. His whole school got involved, and they now host The Formosan Golden Bats' Home museum, visited by 20,000 people annually, and 120 occupied bat houses on the premises. Conservation

Merlin Tuttle at British Consulate in Sophia introducing Bulgarian television audience to the values of bats. Media, Conservation

Asian wrinkle-lipped bats (Chaerephon plicatus) emerging from Khao Chong Phran Cave at Wat Khao Chang in Thailand in 2012, following years of successful protection. The bats now attract large numbers of tourists, and a recent study documented their control of plant hopper pests in local rice paddies is worth some $300,000 U.S. annually. The entire community now loves and protects bats. Conservation

Dr. Jorge A. Tamayo Fonseca observing the Cueva de los Majaes bat emergencee.

A few of the Cuban flower bat (Phyllonycteris poeyi) population estimated to exceed one million, emerging from Cueva de los Magaes, Siboney, Cuba. Dr. Jorge A. Tamayo Fonseca, Director of the Jiboney-Jutcl Research Station, is observing the emergence. Protecting the cave and its bats is a responsibility he takes seriously. Conservation

Merlin Tuttle, Khao Chong Phran Cave, Thailand

Merlin Tuttle and Pongsanant Trirat explaining to the a monk, the Wat Khao Chong Phran grounds manager and guards the need for tree trimming to better protect the bats at Khao Chong Phran Cave. Conservation

Cambodian villager, guano fertilizer, cave

A Cambodian villager emerging from Vihear Luong Cave carrying a bag of bat guano which will be sold as fertilizer. Since the local village chief assigned people to protect the cave, a large colony of free-tailed bats has been reestablished, now providing guano sales totaling approximately 40,000 US dollars per year. Conservation

Cambodian villager, guano fertilizer, cave

A Cambodian villager emerging from Vihear Luong Cave carrying a bag of bat guano which will be sold as fertilizer. Since the local village chief assigned people to protect the cave, a large colony of free-tailed bats has been reestablished, now providing guano sales totaling approximately 40,000 US dollars per year. Conservation

In Cambodia farmers attract bats to artificial roosts, collect their droppings, and sell the guano for fertilizer. Each roost consists of 10 bundles of dried palm fronds, each consisting of five fronds wired together and hoisted, one bundle at a time, to the top of a palm tree. One farmer reported earning nearly $900 US per year per roost, that farmer relying on 10 roosts for extra income. This is a close-up of mosquito netting used to catch three days worth of bat guano. Conservation

In Cambodia farmers attract bats to artificial roosts, collect their droppings, and sell the guano for fertilizer. Each roost consists of 10 bundles of dried palm fronds, each consisting of five fronds wired together and hoisted, one bundle at a time, to the top of a palm tree. One farmer reported earning nearly $900 US per year per roost, that farmer relying on 10 roosts for extra income. Woman collects three days worth of fallen guano beneath a roost. Conservation

In Cambodia farmers attract bats to artificial roosts, collect their droppings, and sell the guano for fertilizer. Each roost consists of 10 bundles of dried palm fronds, each consisting of five fronds wired together and hoisted, one bundle at a time, to the top of a palm tree. One farmer reported earning nearly $900 US per year per roost, that farmer relying on 10 roosts for extra income. Climbing palm to install a new bat roost. Bat Houses, Conservation

In Cambodia farmers attract bats to artificial roosts, collect their droppings, and sell the guano for fertilizer. Each roost consists of 10 bundles of dried palm fronds, each consisting of five fronds wired together and hoisted, one bundle at a time, to the top of a palm tree. One farmer reported earning nearly $900 US per year per roost, that farmer relying on 10 roosts for extra income. This is a palm frond roost that the bats abandoned due to too many parasites. It has been dropped to the ground and will be replaced with a new one, raised and secured one bundle at a time. Bat Houses, Conservation

In Cambodia farmers attract bats to artificial roosts, collect their droppings, and sell the guano for fertilizer. Each roost consists of 10 bundles of dried palm fronds, each consisting of five fronds wired together and hoisted, one bundle at a time, to the top of a palm tree. One farmer reported earning nearly $900 US per year per roost, that farmer relying on 10 roosts for extra income. Climbing palm to install a new bat roost. Bat Houses, Conservation

In Cambodia farmers attract bats to artificial roosts, collect their droppings, and sell the guano for fertilizer. Each roost consists of 10 bundles of dried palm fronds, each consisting of five fronds wired together and hoisted, one bundle at a time, to the top of a palm tree. One farmer reported earning nearly $900 US per year per roost, that farmer relying on 10 roosts for extra income. Climbing palm to install a new bat roost. This farmer is using a long rope to hoist new bundles, one at a time to build a new roost. The two adjacent palms already have such artificial roosts that are occupied with bats. Bat Houses, Conservation

Merlin Tuttle, plenary speech, ATBC Conference

Merin Tuttle giving plenary speech at 2015 ATBC annual meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Twenty-two nations were represented. Conservation

Merlin Tuttle with game wardens hired to protect the bats in Khao Chang Phran Cave following his discovery of a serious poaching problem in Thailand. Conservation

Merlin Tuttle teaching school children about bats in the Philippines. Education, Conservation

Merlin with Norma Monfort (in red), local mayor, (with baseball cap) and local citizens sighning successful petition to Philippine Government to protect two million bats in the Monfort Bat Cave. Conservation

The Monfort family on Somal Island in the Philippines has hired guards to protect their bats for more than 40 years and they now maintain an interpretive site nearby to educate visitors about bat values. Approximately two million Geoffroy's rousette fruit bats (Rousettus ampexicaudatus) have been forced to abandon their former homes in several other caves to avoid sure death from humans who net and eat them. Now there are so many bats in this one cave that they are forced to roost within easy reach of predators. Nevertheless they are still far safer in the Monfort Cave than anywhere else. What they desperately need is more protected caves. Conservation

One of several huge, steel gates built by volunteer cavers to protect endangered gray bats that hibernate in Hubbards Cave, Tennessee. Approximately 10 feet of fly-over space was left above the perforated steel mesh which prevents humans from climbing over. Due to protection, this colony grew by more than 400,000 over several decades. Space above the gate allows bats to fly over. Conservation

Merlin Tuttle with his all-time-favorite bat ambassador, Zuri, a Straw-colored flying fox (Eidolon helvum) in 1986. Conservation

Janet Tyburec demonstrating how to set a bat trap to catch bats while teaching a bat conservation workshop in Arizona. Conservation

The first game warden hired in 1982 at Merlin Tuttle's suggestion to protect the then rapidly declining bats at Khao Chong Phran Cave in Thailnd. Conservation

Buddhist monks supported their monastery by selling bat guano fertilizer. In 1981, sales had dropped to $12,500 U.S. annually due to heavy poaching of bats. After Merlin Tuttle discovered the poachers and advised the hiring of game wardens, sales rose to $89,000 in less than 10 years and reached $135,000 by 2002. Conservation

Endangered gray myotis (Myotis grisescens), hibernating in Hubbards Cave in Tennessee. This once great colony was nearly extirpated by the early 1980's. However Merlin Tuttle organized a major partnership, including Bat Conservation International, The Nature Conservany, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The American Cave Conservation Association and the Tennessee National Guard that enabled property acquisition and construction of huge steel gates. Today, through decades of protection, the population has recovered to include roughly half a million gray myotis. Hibernation, Conservation

Ranger naturalist, Kerry Estright-Pruznak, from Canoe Creek State Park in Pennsylvania entertaining visitors during an early morning return of more than 10,000 little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus) to their protected nursery roost. Conservation, Roosting