In Western culture, bats have a serious image problem. They are seen as frightening and uncanny, and in Europe they have been associated with supernatural figures like witches and vampires for hundreds of years (Low et al., 2021). However, bats are not universally scary. In many countries across Asia, bats have a neutral or positive connotation, and in Chinese culture they are a symbol of good fortune. For many cultures they are a source of medicine and food (Low et al., 2021). So, why are we so frightened of bats in the West? While people are generally less worried about witches and vampires than they used to be, there is one good reason to be cautious around bats: they can transmit rabies. Rabies is a serious viral disease, and if you are in very close proximity to a bat (i.e., in an inclosed space together), it’s a good idea to get the rabies vaccination right away (CDC). But outside, bats do not pose much risk to humans. They are shy creatures, and will keep their distance from us whenever they can.

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        Believe it or not, we are far more dangerous to bats than they are to us. Bats have been seriously impacted by urbanization, which means the growth and spread of cities across the world. Noise pollution, light pollution, increased temperature, habitat fragmentation, and habitat loss are some of the most pressing issues facing bats in urban spaces. Bats are especially susceptible to the effects of urbanization due to their low reproductive rate—most bat species only have 1-2 pups per year, which is much lower than most small mammals (think about rats, who can have up to 170 pups per year!) (Gili et al., 2021). This means that bat populations recover slowly when they are disrupted. A major disruption to bat species in recent years was the introduction of white nose syndrome. White nose syndrome is caused by a fungal infection, and was introduced to North America in the early 2000s, likely by human activity. It is often deadly to bats who contract it, and has spread rapidly through bat populations, killing 90% of little brown bats, tri-coloured bats, and northern long-eared bats (U.S. Department of the Interior). This huge population loss demonstrates the sensitivity of bats to anthropogenic (human-caused) impacts.