The Batmobile had to be “pushed” out of the parking lot of Khao Chong Pran. Dead battery. Once on the road again with a new battery, we were in search of another cave. In January 1984, Merlin had written an article for the Smithsonian magazine about his trip to Thailand entitled “Harmless, highly beneficial, bats […]
Under the watchful eye of the Buddha of Khao Chong Pran, Merlin photographed the bats residing within, netted by Daniel Hargreaves and soon released. He photographed Black-bearded Tomb Bats (Taphozous melanopogon) and the Intermediate Roundleaf Bat (Hipposideros larvatus). This shot was possible because the bats are accustomed to being protected by people in […]
The hunt was on for a restaurant owner, Chamni Nakninm, in the town of Chang Pran in Central Thailand. He had formerly specialized in fried fruit bat, but he had also been invaluable in helping Merlin understand the bat trade during his 1982 and 1989 visits. Though Chamni was still selling thousands of bats annually […]
Now on his third trip to Thailand, Merlin wanted to see how the bats were doing in these caves. He also wanted to find some of the people he interviewed on previous trips to see how they’re doing. He insisted we stop at local businesses and inquire of these men. Well, his persistence paid off. […]
Merlin’s career in international bat conservation began at Khao Chong Pran Cave in 1982. During a trip funded by Verne Read, Buddhist monks at the Wat Khao Chong Pran asked Merlin for help in discovering why the cave’s bats, whose guano they sold as fertilizer, were in severe decline. Aided by Thai assistant, Surapon Duangkhae–who latter […]
At Sai Yok National Park on Thailand’s western border with Myanmar (Burma), two park rangers accompanied our team to search for the world’s smallest mammal, the Bumblebee Bat (Craseonycteris thonglongyai). Running through the park is the famous River Kwai, the location of the WWII movie “The Bridge On the River Kwai” considered one of the […]
The Lonely Planet travel guide Thailand claims Sai Yok National Park is home to “some extremely rare animals.” Merlin first came here in 1982 to photograph one of them: the world’s smallest mammal, the Bumblebee Bat (Craseonycteris thonglongyai) aka Kitti’s Hog-nosed Bat. That was before he started his signature portrait gallery of all the bats of the world. He has […]
With dazzling images of the world’s most colorful bat in the bag, the quest was on to find and photograph the world’s smallest mammal: the Bumblee Bat (Craseonycteris thonglongya) aka Kitti’s hog-nosed bat. The plush Batmobile took us from the northeast about 500 miles (800 km) west to Kanchanaburi, near the border with Myanmar (Burma). Destination: […]
Last year for Merlin’s 70th birthday, we celebrated in Hong Kong while conducting a bat/photography workshop. This year it was in the Painted Bat Village of Thailand, photographing painted bats. After cake and song, he was summoned to the road. There waiting to be launched were two large paper and bamboo lanterns with flames inside. […]
Of all the many kinds of bats I’ve photographed, none equal the Painted Bat for spectacular color.
2024 © Merlin Tuttle’s Bat Conservation. All rights reserved.
Madelline Mathis has a degree in environmental studies from Rollins College and a passion for wildlife conservation. She is an outstanding nature photographer who has worked extensively with Merlin and other MTBC staff studying and photographing bats in Mozambique, Cuba, Costa Rica, and Texas. Following college graduation, she was employed as an environmental specialist for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. She subsequently founded the Florida chapter of the International DarkSky Association and currently serves on the board of DarkSky Texas. She also serves on the board of Houston Wilderness and was appointed to the Austin Water Resource Community Planning Task Force.
Michael Lazari Karapetian has over twenty years of investment management experience. He has a degree in business management, is a certified NBA agent, and gained early experience as a money manager for the Bank of America where he established model portfolios for high-net-worth clients. In 2003 he founded Lazari Capital Management, Inc. and Lazari Asset Management, Inc. He is President and CIO of both and manages over a half a billion in assets. In his personal time he champions philanthropic causes. He serves on the board of Moravian College and has a strong affinity for wildlife, both funding and volunteering on behalf of endangered species.
