Zoos & Aquariums

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

To see suitcase of activities, events and ideas, go to What Can Zoos and Aquariums Do?

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 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 zoos & aquariums 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. To be added to either/both lists contact us. If you would like to become a Year of the Bat Partner (at no charge) or Sponsor, please see instructions at www.batcon.org/YOTB

Bats in AZA Institutions

Pallas's Long-Tongued bats (Glossophaga soricina), ©Merlin D. Tuttle

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