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Holy Bats In A Pandemic!

Merlin Tuttle
/
Merlin Tuttle's Bat Conservation
Congress Avenue Bridge, Austin, Texas

Bats get a bad rap. People are afraid of animals that tap into our deepest fears and revulsions. Bats aren't cuddly, they fly at night, have big eyes that can’t see, and conjure creepy images of vampires who steal the  blood of the unsuspecting as they sleep. 

Their role in the pandemic hasn’t made them more popular. Most scientists who study the genomes of bat viruses believe the horseshoe bat played a role in transmitting the virus from an animal to a human host. People encroaching on animal habitats and handling wildlife they shouldn't touch is way more likely to cause a pandemic than the animal who was minding its own business.

But fear of bats and disease has led to violence and destruction of bat colonies worldwide. They're vital for pest control, pollination, and seed dispersal. Bats also live a long time, have highly efficient immune systems, and are social creatures that share blood with "friends" and adopt orphans. 

Bats once impressed one dentist so much that he got the U.S. government to support a plan to use bats to bomb Japan during World War II. 

GUESTS: 

  • Jonathan Epstein is a veterinarian, disease ecologist and the Vice President for Science and Outreach for EcoHealth Alliance. His work has been published in Science, Nature, and Emerging Infectious Diseases, among others. (@epsteinjon)
  • Merlin Tuttle is an ecologist, wildlife photographer, and bat conservationist. He’s the founder of Merlin Tuttle’s Bat Conservation and a research fellow at the University of Texas. (@merlinsbats)
  • Cara Giaimo is a freelance writer. She spent three years as a staff writer at Atlas Obscura, and now writes for the New York Times, Grist, Anthropocene Magazine, and elsewhere (@cjgiaimo)

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter

Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, Jonathan McNicol, and Catie Talarski contributed to this show. 

Betsy started as an intern at WNPR in 2011 after earning a Master's Degree in American and Museum Studies from Trinity College. She served as the Senior Producer for 'The Colin McEnroe Show' for several years before stepping down in 2021 and returning to her previous career as a registered nurse. She still produces shows with Colin and the team when her schedule allows.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

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