Annual Bat Beauty Contest Highlights Conservation Efforts

Overview

• The Bat Beauty Contest, now in its fifth year, is part of Bat Week, running from October 24 to 31.
• The competition features bats from public lands photographed by Bureau of Land Management staff, with the public voting for their favorite on social media.
• The contest is designed to dispel myths about bats, such as their association with diseases like rabies, and to promote their ecological importance.
• Bats play crucial roles in ecosystems, including pollination and pest control, which benefits agriculture and saves billions of dollars annually.
• Participants are encouraged to support bat conservation by creating bat-friendly environments, such as installing bat houses and reducing light pollution.