Bat Conservation and Management Workshop

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BCI Bat Conservation and Management Workshop – Arizona the area uncluttered during presentations. Literature that will be available to the audience should be placed on a separate table from the one where display cages are situated (or in the area farthest from the display cages if a separate table is not available). This precaution minimizes stress to the bats by reducing traffic near their cages. 4. The use of a cam-corder, RF modulator, tripod, and television is of great value for educational bat programs, particularly when dealing with large audiences and/or limited space. The image of a bat can be enlarged when it is projected onto a television screen. The cam-corder also serves to permanently record programs for both critical self-review and documentation that animals were not touched by the public during presentation. BATS USED FOR EXHIBITION 1. Bats used for educational programs should either be non-releasable indigenous species or non-indigenous species. Non-releasable status is assigned to orphans, captive born bats, and non-suffering permanently injured bats. Although they may be caged with other bats, indigenous bats should have resided in captivity for at least one year without being exposed to any new bats during that time. Bats should not be on display for more than 30 minutes a day. (It is not humane to subject insectivorous bats to permanent display.) 2. Use of both foliage-roosting and crevicedwelling insectivorous bats, as well as frugivorous bats, is beneficial for demonstrating ecological diversity (e.g., differences in body size, shape, color, and how this is related to roosting and dietary habits). However, excellent presentations can be given utilizing only one or two individuals of the same bat species when a variety is not available. 3. Bats should be familiar with their handler and should have developed a sense of trust before being utilized for public presentations. Bats that trust their handler will respond to and relax at the sound of their handler‘s voice during times of stress. Bats that have not become accustomed to their handler will be noticeably frightened during educational programs and should not be used for public viewing. 4. Bats used for display should be conditioned prior to the presentation. Conditioning should include familiarizing the bat with both the display cage and transport carrier. Food rewards can be used throughout the conditioning period so that the bats develop positive associations with display cages. 5. Solitary bats (like many of the foliage-roosting species) can be conditioned and displayed singly during presentations. It is preferable, however, that colonial species be accompanied by permanent roost mates both during the conditioning period and educational presentations. 6. Bats should be left in the transport carrier and placed in an area inaccessible to the public after reaching the program area. Bats should remain undisturbed in the carrier in this area while displays and handouts are organized. Bats should be removed from the carrier and placed into a covered display cage before the audience arrives for the presentation. When the cage is uncovered for viewing, the bat may be given food rewards. After public viewing, display cages should be covered again. 7. Although educators have displayed bats by hand for many years during presentations, it is preferable that audiences view bats that are contained within a display cage. Bats that have been conditioned to being displayed by hand over a long period of time may not adjust to confinement in display cages, however. Some authorities recommend that gloves be worn if bats are displayed by hand because a conflicting message may be sent to the audience if wild animals are handled with bare hands. 8. Presenters should remain next to the cage while bats are being viewed by the audience. Close up viewing of the bat works best if allowed only at the conclusion of a presentation. Encourage the audience to file by for viewing and to leave about one foot of space between them and the table. In addition, they should be told to not lean against the table towards the cage or to touch the cage. Children should be told to keep their hands in their pockets or behind their backs as they walk © 2011 – Bat Conservation International Page 171
BCI Bat Conservation and Management Workshop – Arizona by. During this time, a distance of two feet should be maintained between the display cage and the audience. This can be accomplished by placing the cage in the center-back area of the table so that l-foot (30cm) or more of empty table space is created along the front and sides of the cage. 9. Never allow anyone to touch a bat in any way whatsoever. A bat that has been touched by an unauthorized individual may be subject to euthanasia and rabies testing by local health authorities regardless of the nature of the contact or the period of time the bat has remained in captivity. 10. Bats must never be permitted to fly or otherwise be loose during public programs. TRANSPORT CARRIERS AND DISPLAY CAGES 1. Use a transport carrier, rather than the display cage, for transporting bats to and from facilities where presentations will take place. Carriers should be appropriately modified so that they can be secured in vehicles with a seat belt. Carriers should be padded on the inside and covered with a cloth on the outside. Neither transport carriers nor display cages containing bats should be handled by anyone other than the presenter. 2. Display cages should have surfaces that allow bats to hang upside down. If a plexiglass animal case is used, three of the four sides and the ceiling should be covered with nylon or plastic (not wire) screen to provide appropriate roosting surfaces. (Bats are unable to grip plastic surfaces and may slip and fall, causing wrist or wing injury.) Screened, wooden frame display cages should be ―double screened‖ with nylon or plastic screen with no more than a 1/6" (4mm) mesh for small insectivorous bats. For larger bats such as flying foxes, ½" ( 13mm) plastic mesh should be used for the inner layer only. There should be a 1" (25mm) space between the two layers of screen. This space and the small mesh used for the outer layer will ensure that bats hanging close to the inside screen or mesh wall cannot be secretly touched from the outside by a curious individual. 3. Display cages should be designed so that bats can remain somewhat hidden without being totally obscured from view. This may be accomplished with the use of either natural or artificial materials including fabrics, silk foliage, tree bark, or small tree branches that can be used to simulate natural habitat, depending on the species. These materials should be secured against cage walls and kept clean and free of odors, sharp areas, dirt, and parasites. 4. Areas within the display cage that are in public view where bats have urinated and/or defecated should be inconspicuously cleaned (if possible) with tissue. The tissue should then be put in a plastic bag brought along for that purpose, and placed out of sight until after the presentation when it can be disposed of appropriately. EDUCATING CHILDREN While educational programs about bats should attempt to instill a child with a healthy respect for wild animals and their habitats, such a program should begin by emphasizing the importance of never touching a wild animal. A stern message regarding handling of bats and other wild animals should be leveled at children. These messages must be especially emphasized if presenters handle bats during presentations. It is also necessary to be redundant when delivering messages to children. The following examples have proven successful for Bat World*. 1. Children should be told that grownups who handle wild animals must have ―special shots‖ and special training in order to work with wild animals. They should also be told that the bats being used for the presentation are tame and familiar with the handler, whereas bats in the wild are very different and will bite in self-defense when handled. 2. When giving the bat a food reward during programs, allow children a clear view of the bat‘s face and teeth as the bat chews. A cam- corder with a modulator hookup will project this image clearly onto a TV screen for si-multaneous viewing by the audience. Rather than hand feeding the bat, food rewards can be placed into the display cage in a way that enables the bat to find and eat the food naturally (e.g., small pieces of apple can be secured onto branches for frugivorous bats; mealworms can be placed in © 2011 – Bat Conservation International Page 172
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Figure 6 (top). Typical bat gate (n
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Page 125 and 126: BCI Bat Conservation and Management
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Page 201 and 202: ACOUSTIC INVENTORY DATA SHEET Locat
Page 203 and 204: INSTRUCTIONS FOR FILLING OUT BAT CA
Page 205 and 206: BAT CAPTURE DATA FORM Additional Da
Page 207 and 208: Capture Survey Passive Active Scien
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Bat Conservation and Management Workshop

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