22/11/2021
Just a friendly reminder that bat taxidermy and skeletons are not ethical. Sadly we have seen a significant rise in bat taxidermy and skeletons as people become more interested in bats. Well meaning people purchase these unethical products as gifts or decorations. Sellers blatantly lie or are misled themselves, claiming they are ethically produced. Usually they say the bats are either found already passed or that the bats are bred in captivity to be used for taxidermy. Both of these scenarios are an impossibility for bats due to their biology. Occasionally you may find a relatively intact bat that has already passed but to find these fresh, completely intact and in large numbers is impossible. Breeding bats in captivity is extremely difficult, has high financial costs and requires specialist enclosures that do not exist where these bats are coming from. One of the most commonly seen bats in taxidermy is the beautifully coloured painted Woolly bat. This species is now listed as near threatened on the IUCN red list and this is a direct quote from the assessment ‘The decline is expected to continue due to a continuing rise in hunting that stems from increased demand of taxidermy ornaments worldwide.’
Please do not contribute to the unethical poaching of bats. And please, spread the word so other bat lovers don’t unknowingly buy these horrific products. If you want an option for an ethical bat gift, why not consider one of our orphan symbolic adoptions 🦇
Remember that any bat by itself during the day is in need of help. Don’t touch the bat and give us a call immediately on â€0488 228 134‬ for Brisbane and surrounds or your local wildlife rescue for other regions. ‬‬‬‬
