Batman, please stand for the Bats!

Calling on Batman, Batwoman, Batgirl, and the whole vigilante family,

The 17th of April is recognized internationally as Bat Appreciation Day. On this day, we celebrate the essential contributions of bats to our ecosystem. This year we celebrated the first Bat Appreciation Day since the start of COVID-19, which has made bats the increased target of fear and violence. In this terrible time, I'm asking you to please be a voice for the bats. Either by posting a video to Facebook (tagging the group Bat Family for the Bats) or on Twitter (tagging me @ELC95854407).

I am not a bat expert, but I listen to bat experts. The spread of COVID-19 would not have begun if humanity had not created the circumstances that lead to zoonotic disease spillover. (Wet markets, wildlife trade, interfering with habitats, etc.*) At this time, there is no conclusive proof that bats were the direct source of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that started this awful pandemic. However, the media has generally focused their blame on bats, contributing to heightened fear of and violence against these critters.

Bat Family, you've taken advantage of humanity's fear of bats for a long time, but now it's time to give back.

Just like Gotham needs its vigilantes, Earth needs bats. Bats are pollinators, mosquito-eaters, and forest gardeners.** Without bats, we would not have bananas, cocoa, agave (tequila!), mangos, or Saguaro cacti. Bats eat millions of pest insects that cause farmers to lose crops and spray loads of pesticides. Fruit-eating bats distribute seeds that replant destroyed rainforests. Without our help, all these essential bat services may be lost.

Now, if you are NOT a caped crusader, bats still need your help to spread the signal! Please Sign & Share this Petition! The more people who see it, the more likely that somebody with a superhero alter-ego will notice. We have a lot of obstacles in our way, like copyright ownership, canceled comic conventions, and the Justice League enforcing social distancing! Still, I'm sure somebody knows somebody who can put this in the right hands.


For more information about bats, please visit the websites below:
* Batcon.org
**Bats.org.uk
Batworld.org

Special Thanks to Bat Conservation International, Bat World Sanctuary, and Lubee Bat Conservancy.