Congress Ave Bats Feed on a Diverse Buffet of Insects
December 4, 2024
On warm summer evenings, as the hum of insects fills the air, it’s common to hear someone exclaim, “We could use some bats to handle
The hunt was on for a restaurant owner, Chamni Nakninm, in the town of Chang Pran in Central Thailand. He had formerly specialized in fried fruit bat, but he had also been invaluable in helping Merlin understand the bat trade during his 1982 and 1989 visits. Though Chamni was still selling thousands of bats annually in 1989, they remained good friends. Now, 23 years later, we hoped to find him.
Our BatThai guides walked from one restaurant to another, making inquiries. We finally found him at a small convenience store he owns. At 77 he immediately remembered Merlin. We sat down and visited for an hour. He told us he had closed his restaurant and opened the store three years earlier when all killing and selling of bats was outlawed by the government.
Although the Khao Chong Pran Cave and surrounding area had been protected by a game warden since Merlin’s first visit, bats could still be purchased from nearby areas prior to the new law. Daniel asked Chamni if bats were still sold “off the menu” in some restaurants, but he said no. And yes, he had seen himself frying bats in the CBS television documentary The Secret World of Bats. The new law had forced him to quit serving bats, his restaurant specialty. However, he didn’t hold any grudges toward Merlin for convincing the community to conserve its bats.
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On warm summer evenings, as the hum of insects fills the air, it’s common to hear someone exclaim, “We could use some bats to handle
Thanks to all the Join the Nightlife: Bats and Agriculture attendees who joined us out in the field this year! Guests got hands-on experience with
Supporter and friend of MTBC, Australian conservation and animal welfare photojournalist Doug Gimesy, had his images recognized in two categories at the recent Siena International
Fieldwork requires a lot of equipment, but photography requires even more! During our June 2024 photography workshop, we transported over 100 lbs. of equipment —
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Michael Lazari Karapetian has over twenty years of investment management experience. He has a degree in business management, is a certified NBA agent, and gained early experience as a money manager for the Bank of America where he established model portfolios for high-net-worth clients. In 2003 he founded Lazari Capital Management, Inc. and Lazari Asset Management, Inc. He is President and CIO of both and manages over a half a billion in assets. In his personal time he champions philanthropic causes. He serves on the board of Moravian College and has a strong affinity for wildlife, both funding and volunteering on behalf of endangered species.