I had an amazing opportunity to visit the Lubee Bat Conservancy, which is an international non-profit organization dedicated to saving bats and their habitats through research, conservation, and education. This was an eye opening and transformational visit in a variety of ways. I must admit that I have never really thought a lot about bats. I think I definitely fell prey to the stereotypes and old wives’ tales about bats…none of which are true by the way. Here are some bat myths dispelled by fact versus fiction.

1. Bats are not blind nor are they afraid of light.
2. Bats will NOT fly into your hair. They are actually just hunting for insects not swooping for your head. They know exactly where they are going!
3. Getting rabies from a bat is EXTREMELY rare. Less than 1% of all bats actually carry rabies.
4. Bats are NOT rodents. Bats are not related to rodents. In fact, they are most closely related to dogs…who would have thought that!
5. Bats are NOT scary. Despite the negative stereotypes surrounding bats, they are extremely intelligent and beneficial animals upon which we depend.

This rare opportunity to tour the Lubee Conservancy was both educational and an awesome chance to be able to view up close some of the most beautiful and exotic bat varieties in the world. When understood in true context and reality these creatures are just like any other animal we love and connect with…able to form relationships with their caregivers, be trained to respond to commands and demonstrate the true capacity for love and attachment to humans. No big surprise here, but it reminded me of something important…the fact that everything belongs and has a place in this universe. Not just traditionally cute and adorable dogs and cats, but every animal, insect, tree and human being. We don’t get to decide what has value and what doesn’t. Our job is to seek to remove the barriers within us that keep us from seeing the inherent value in all of creation. Another lovely lesson and important reminder from an unexpected teacher, a beautiful colony of bats!

…And just for fun, here a few facts I learned during my visit. Fruit bats are the primary means of seed dispersal for many tropical plant species and in certain areas of the tropics, bats are responsible for 95% of the regrowth of the rainforests. Insect eating bats, which are the main variety found in the USA, can eat up to 500 mosquito-sized bugs in an hour and are essential in controlling the insect population. Pretty cool, huh!