Dr. Merlin Tuttle hand-feeding Hardwicke's woolly bat

Dr. Merlin Tuttle has trained the Hardwicke's woolly bat (from Malaysia) to eat mealworms out of his hand. When the bats want to get his attention so he will feed them, the bats bump his nose! Merlin Tuttle founded Bat Conservation International (BCI), an organization devoted to research, education and conservation of bats, in 1982. When Tuttle retired in 2009 from nearly 30 years of service as its Executive Director, BCI employed 32 biologists, educators, and administrators, supported by 11,000 members in 60 countries. Under Merlin’s leadership BCI gained permanent protection for many of the world’s largest remaining bat populations, sponsored research to document the vital ecological and economic roles of bats, trained hundreds of wildlife managers in bat research and conservation techniques, and vastly improved the public’s perception of bats. Merlin’s photographs have appeared in five National Geographic articles, more than a dozen National Geographic Society books and other magazines, and was included in their prestigious publication, 100 Best Pictures. Merlin continues to assist conservationists, provide lectures, photograph bats worldwide in addition to leading his newest organization, Merlin Tuttle’s Bat Conservation. Please visit MerlinTuttle.org to learn more. “Merlin Tuttle, the world's most famous bat biologist and booster, has devoted his life to studying, demystifying, and helping conserve bats.” -National Geographic Magazine

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