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
Filming the The Secret World of Bats took Merlin to 5 continents and 9 countries in one year. That year was 1989, when he returned to Thailand for the second time. With a film crew headed by Dieter Plage, they told the story of guano mining at Khao Chong Pran and Rakang Caves. The rigorous travel schedule and time zone changes nearly killed Merlin.
This is what Wikipedia says about Dieter Plage who accompanied Merlin on the project and died shortly thereafter:
“Dieter was lead cameraman on a major Survival series shot in the Galapagos Islands in the 1980s and then tackled probably his most challenging assignment to shoot The Secret World of Bats. Filmed on five continents, the programme was the supreme test of Plage’s considerable camera skills. Working with one of the world’s leading bat experts, Merlin Tuttle, he explored in detail the amazing behaviour of bats and their vital role in the planet’s ecology.[67] He had just returned to Sumatra to update the story of the orangutans’ battle for survival when he met his death while filming above the forest canopy.”
Now on his third trip to Thailand, Merlin wanted to see how the bats were doing in these caves. He also wanted to find some of the people he interviewed on previous trips to see how they’re doing. He insisted we stop at local businesses and inquire of these men.
Well, his persistence paid off. We found the restaurant owner who sold fried bat and the guano miner. For those stories, read the blogs: “Bat Off the Menu” and “A Guano Miner’s Daughter,” coming up.
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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 —
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.