Meet the man standing up for bats: “They are not fuller of diseases than your dog”
This man in Mexico is trying to shift the perception of these often hated creatures.
The Mexican Batman may sound like a South Park character, but Rodrigo Medellín really has taken on a superhero mission — and he’s achieving his goal.
The senior professor of ecology at the University of Mexico has set out to change people’s perspective on this oft-maligned creatures of the night, trying to shift their reputation to a more positive light.
Medellín found his love for the flying mammals when he was a child: “That’s when I decided to dedicate my life to their study and protection.” Years later, that feeling is still there: “The peace, the darkness, the silence — apart from the bat squealing. I feel relaxed in a cave and all I do is I try to convey this feeling to the people that are with me.”
“Bats are not fuller of diseases than your dog or cat”
Often linked with themes of darkness and evil, bats have a reputation for being disease-filled mini-monsters that should be avoided. However, Medellín thinks otherwise: “Bats are certainly not fuller of diseases than your dog or cat. That has been horribly exaggerated,” he explains.
“They are very mysterious. Many people fear them, attack them, or despise them. They are probably the most unfairly treated animals on Earth,” adds Medellín.
Bats face significant challenges due to human activity including habitat loss, plunging insect populations, and wind turbines. “Imagine what happens if we lose bats overnight,” Medellín worries. “Without them, crops would be ravaged by hungry insects, and mosquito populations would surge, drastically changing our way of life.”
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If you’re scared of bats, it’s probably best to heed Medellín’s advice: “I give people facts, images, evidence, and automatically they fall in love with bats. In my experience, anyone who had any contact with bats maintains that contact and starts expanding it. If there is anybody who is still afraid of bats, I would like to invite you to learn a bit more,” he adds before concluding: “They are going to win your heart.”
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