La Contessa, Pallid Bat of the Baja
April 20, 2013
We spent the afternoon looking for night roosts, because the cold front and high winds would minimize bat activity. We drove for miles, looking under
We spent the afternoon looking for night roosts, because the cold front and high winds would minimize bat activity. We drove for miles, looking under
Arriving in a country with 350 pounds of photographic and field gear is always stressful. The immigration folks at the airport carefully examined every piece
It’s been a long time coming, but we’re back on the road again! It’s springtime in the gorgeous Sonoran Desert. This next adventure takes us
We are in San Juan, Puerto Rico enjoying the 42nd North American Symposium on Bat Research, an annual bat research meeting which Merlin has attended every
The time had come to leave the peace and serenity of Hala Bala Wildlife Sanctuary and brave the possibility of insurgent attacks on our way
In only four days of photography at Hala Bala Wildlife Sanctuary, Merlin photographed 15 bat species, in addition to the Naked Bat (Cheiromeles torquatus), Spotted-Winged
It rained hard, as we followed the guano miner’s daughter, Chanraem, through a maze of brilliant green rice paddies, ending at an unexpectedly lovely, teak
The Batmobile had to be “pushed” out of the parking lot of Khao Chong Pran. Dead battery. Once on the road again with a new
Under the watchful eye of the Buddha of Khao Chong Pran, Merlin photographed the bats residing within, netted by Daniel Hargreaves and soon released. He
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
2024 © Merlin Tuttle’s Bat Conservation. All rights reserved.
Madelline Mathis has a degree in environmental studies from Rollins College and a passion for wildlife conservation. She is an outstanding nature photographer who has worked extensively with Merlin and other MTBC staff studying and photographing bats in Mozambique, Cuba, Costa Rica, and Texas. Following college graduation, she was employed as an environmental specialist for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. She subsequently founded the Florida chapter of the International Dark Sky Association and currently serves on the board of DarkSky Texas. She also serves on the board of Houston Wilderness and was appointed to the Austin Water Resource Community Planning Task Force.
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.