Association of Zoos & Aquariums

ASSOCIATION OF ZOOS & AQUARIUMS (AZA) and International Year of the Bat

The United Nations (UNEP) has declared 2012 as International Year of the Bat (YOTB) and AZA institutions are joining the celebration.

At the 2011 AZA Conference in Atlanta, the AZA Bat TAG sponsored a special bat session, “Bats: New Threats, What is Being Done and How You Can Help!”, which was attended by more than 100 people and featured five presentations about bats: Why Care about Bats?, Human-caused Threats to Bats, Bats & Wind Energy, White-nose Syndrome, and AZA Resources for Bat Conservation Education.

The presentations included an invitation to AZA institutions to advance conservation and education by joining the Year of the Bat celebrations with Bat Conservation International (BCI), a Founding Partner for Year of the Bat, which is offering advice, promotion and materials for partners.

Following the AZA Bat TAG special session, an AZA Year of the Bat team was organized, which has created a Facebook page, a Google group, and this AZA YOTB Resources page (www.batcon.org/AZA), including a listing of AZA institutions which exhibit bats and which offer bat-related education programs, as well as a suitcase of ideas, plans, photos, etc., to develop your own Year of the Bat celebration. Contact us if you would like to be added to either/both lists and/or you would like to become a Year of the Bat Partner (at no charge).

WHAT CAN ZOOS DO?

-        Have your bat exhibits, bat-related education programs and any bat-related conservation programs promoted on this page (see below).

-        Join the AZA Year of the Bat Team on Facebook and Google Groups. Instructions are here. (INSTRUCTIONS TO JOIN THE YEAR OF THE BAT GOOGLE GROUP:

-        Become a Year of the Bat Partner and/or Sponsor (see www.batcon.org/yotb).

-        Plan your own Year of the Bat Event. Great examples and resources are here.

SEE LIVE BATS

Bat exhibits (All information has been provided by the institutions named. Please contact the institution to verify the accuracy of their information before visiting. BCI is not responsible for inaccuracies.)

BREC's Baton Rouge Zoo: Indian fruit bats (Pteropus giganteus)

California Science Center: pallid bats (Antrozous pallius)

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium: Dog-faced Fruit Bat (Cynopterus brachyotis), Indian Flying Fox (Pteropus giganteus), Little Golden-mantled Flying Fox (Pteropus pumilus)

El Paso Zoo: four female flying foxes

Ellen Trout Zoo: Artibeus jamaicensis and pteropus

Houston Zoo: Seba’s short-tailed fruit bat, Pallas’ long-tongued nectar bat, Jamaican Fruit bat, Straw colored fruit bat, Indian flying fox

Lake Superior Zoo: short-tailed fruit bat (Carollia perspicillata) and Straw colored fruit bats  (Eidolon helvum)

Oklahoma City Zoo: Seba’s short-tailed bats, Carollia perspicillata (see photo)

Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park: Egyptian fruit bat colony

San Antonio Zoological Society: short-tailed fruit bats (Carollia perspicillata)

Bat-related programs (All information has been provided by the institutions named. Please contact the institution to verify the accuracy of their information before visiting. BCI is not responsible for inaccuracies.)

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium: Camp-in & Family overnights, Batelle Quest School programs, Guided Walking Tours, Scout Programs

In the wild (http://www.batcon.org/index.php/get-involved/visit-a-bat-location/Category.html?layout=category)

San Antonio, TX - Bracken Bat Cave (http://www.batcon.org/index.php/get-involved/visit-a-bat-location/bracken-bat-cave/subcategory.html?layout=subcategory)

Austin, TX - Congress Avenue Bridge (http://www.batcon.org/index.php/get-involved/visit-a-bat-location/congress-avenue-bridge/subcategory.html?layout=subcategory)

Houston, TX - Waugh Bridge

Philippines – Montfort Bat Cave

RESOURCES: free downloadable materials

Bat TAG Educators Notebook (Terry O’Connor)

BCI resources http://www.batcon.org/index.php/get-involved/year-of-the-bat/subcategory/596.html

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Year of the Bat event http://izea.net/education/yearofbat-dakspecialevent.htm

3 documents, Terri Clark, Central Florida Zoo, in YOTB BCI Partners: AZA YOTB: AZA Resources Webpage

Contact BCI for assistance in finding and inviting speakers: ex. US Fish & Wildlife Service bat biologists

“Run for the Bats”: hold a 1k, 5k, etc.

IDEAS from OTHERS:

LSZ

El Paso Zoo

To BCI: I just want you all to know that our bat exhibit at the Little Rock Garden Club GCA Flower Show on October, 13, 2011 was an incredible success! Our Conservation committee set up a scenario of a bat habitat common to Arkansas with a forested ecosystem, farmland and a protected bat cave. The LRGC Conservation Committee presented an elaborate replica of common habitats for bats in Arkansas. We presented a kiosk of information regarding bats -- the genetic makeup, habitat, folk lore, ecosystem technology and the simple benefits of bats.  We also displayed information on “The Conservation of Bats” and “How to Build a Bat House”.  We involved several different local organizations. The Bat Conservation International group was a great source of information, contributing a video on The Wonderful World of Bats, that we ran constantly, and many pieces of take-home literature on bats.  The video, “The Secret World of Bats” following Dr. Merlin Tuttle across five continents, capturing all aspects of bat behavior, was especially a huge success!  The Nature Conservancy lent us their “cave” simulation tent.  We obtained crops frequently visited by bats, from local farmers (one of which was on our conservation committee).  Local nurseries donated woodland plants, trees and water features for the woodland effect.  The Boy Scouts exhibited a homemade bat house. I cannot thank you all enough for your help in getting us the tools we needed to put on this exhibit.