Batty about Summer
July 2, 2024
It’s summertime (in the Northern Hemisphere) and the evening skies are alive with activity. As the sun sets, bugs are flying around and bats are
Over the past year, we collaborated with German colleague, Ralph Simon, taking more than 20,000 photos of bats pollinating highly bat-dependent flowers in Costa Rica, Cuba and Ecuador for an article scheduled to appear in the May 2014 issue of National Geographic, then collaborated with Daniel Hargreaves and much appreciated Thai colleagues to photograph 32 species of bats in Thailand, including rare painted, bumblebee and naked bats.
We have lots of continuing plans for 2013, including field work in Mexico, Costa Rica and Sulawesi to better document bat values, assist colleagues and local conservation projects and prepare for a coffee table book on bats of the world, a long-time dream of Merlin’s.
Over the past year, we gradually noticed Merlin beginning to lean to the left and struggle unusually to maintain his balance while climbing around in caves and other rugged terrain. Finally, two weeks ago, I convinced him to see a neurologist, and an MRI scan of his brain revealed a meningioma about the size of a golf ball. Fortunately, the tumor is benign, well defined and in an ideal location for successful surgical removal. A highly respected neurosurgeon, Dr. Craig Kemper, will remove it on January 10. We anticipate Merlin being in the hospital for two to three days, but requiring about three weeks at home to get back to full speed.
Thank you so much for following this blog the past year. As long as you’re interested, I’ll continue blogging about our projects. Merlin and I wish the very best for you and for bats in the coming New Year!
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It’s summertime (in the Northern Hemisphere) and the evening skies are alive with activity. As the sun sets, bugs are flying around and bats are
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As I rappelled down a sheer rock wall to reach the entrance to America’s most important remaining bat hibernation cave, I couldn’t believe my good
How does a community scientist from Toronto, Canada suddenly end up relocating to Austin, Texas, to work as a full-time bat biologist for Merlin Tuttle’s
2024 © Merlin Tuttle’s Bat Conservation. All rights reserved.
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.