Volume 9
Issue 4
- On Fruits, Seeds, and Bats
- Into the Rain Forest
- THE BAT AMBASSADORS
- Director of Education Attends Conference in Costa Rica
- Arizona Bat Colony Vandals Apprehended
- IN TRIBUTE. Luis Facundo Bacardi: 1944-1991
- BCI Receives Awards
- WISH LIST
- Invest in the future of bats with BCI’s Visa® Gold and Classic Visa® cards
- In flight meal service
- ON THE COVER
- BCI Hosts Bat Research Symposium
- Following the Nectar Trail
Luis Facundo Bacardi: 1944–1991
Luis Facundo Bacardi, the great grandson of the founder of Bacardi Rum, was born on March 14, 1944 in Cuba. He loved animals and devoted his life to the preservation of endangered species, especially bats. He died on September 12, 1991 while visiting the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust in the United Kingdom. Luis is survived by his three children, Luis, Facundo, and Hilda.
Luis played a key role in ensuring a future for flying foxes throughout the Pacific islands. Without his assistance and participation, BCI’s 1990 Pacific Island Flying Fox Conference would not have been possible. The landmark conference enabled representatives of 14 nations and island groups to meet and develop solutions for the problems facing Pacific island bats. He was one of Bat Conservation International’s most valued friends, and was the founder of the Lubee Foundation. Through Lubee, he built one of the world’s finest captive breeding centers for flying foxes and small primates, sponsoring research and conservation projects worldwide.
Luis Bacardi’s dream of helping animals continues through his legacy, the Lubee Foundation. The conservation community will greatly miss his personal enthusiasm and involvement.