As they say in Vaudeville, dying is easy. Comedy's tough.
We received a large number (for us) of disapproving letters from Bat Activists in response to Mike McCrea's fly fishing satire, "Chiroptera Fishing" about catching bats in the off season. I'm happy to report that the bat-fans mostly recognized that the article was probably a satire but that it set an unfortunate example for more impressionable readers. We think this might be a good opportunity all around to swap some stories about the fasciinating little beasts, which a few have offered to provide in the near future, including a guide to bat-watching. Meanwhile, we at Get Lost Magazine hope that people won't go out and try to catch bats or hurt any critter unnecessarily. Here's one of the letters we got:
Just had your fishing for bats article forwarded to me. You are about to be hammered by bat lovers from all over the country.
I am a wildlife rehabilitator, park naturalist, amateur biologist, cofounder and former vice-president of the Mid-Atlantic Turtle and Tortoise Club, and director of Bat World NOVA. I've met and listened to David Lee and I find it inconceivable that anyone as dedicated to the ecology and survival of chelonians as he would be so callous and dismissive of the chiroptera. I notice you also wrote an article on helping him build a turtle preserve, so even you know the value of wildlife. So I'm seriously hoping the article was written with tongue firmly in cheek and that the poor doomed bat pictured was an accidental catch. If not, well, I'm sure you know what's wrong with promoting the killing of flying mammals that represent one fifth of all mammals worldwide and that also represent some of the most persecuted animals in the history of human occupation of the planet. And in most if not all states the killing of nongame species is not permitted--responsible fishermen know this.
We seriously can't afford to continue to promote the killing of these animals. They are almost entirely responsible for keeping night-flying insects under control. They are far too small and delicate to withstand having a hook removed from any part of their anatomy. Whenever I see intentional cruelty to bats, I always ask - would you be comfortable doing that to a kitten or puppy? I'm not against hunting or fishing - catching things to eat doesn't bother me a bit, but I doubt anyone ate that poor bat.
And speaking of eating bats, your medical advice was off. No one should handle bats without rabies inoculations, true, but tell your readers they cost about $1500 now. The histoplasmosis bit was pure crap. Histo is associated with large accumulations of guano, bird as well as bat. Anyone living where histo is endemic, which is most of the east of the US has been exposed. And drinking Guinness is no excuse for killing native wildlife.
Leslie Sturges
Director,
Bat World NOVA
Park Naturalist
Locust Grove Nature Center