Yesterday Bob and Jude got invited to a seminar arranged by the Bat Conservation Trust.
A fabulous talk by Rodrigo A. Medellin on Bat conservation in Mexico. I now know how you extract saliva from a vampire bat, a question which had not occurred to me previously.
Also that he is working on a bat friendly labelling scheme for tequilla (similar to dolphin friendly tuna). Until then we shall be drinking mescal (which does not involve widespread destruction of the agave plant).
Rodrigo is an inspiring and witty speaker and his work has resulted in him being awarded the prestigious Whitely Award in 2001. You can see a short video on his work on You Tube .
The lesser long nosed bat is essential for pollination of agaves, which are used in the production of tequilla
I will be writing an account of his talk in the July issue of the Bats In Beds newsletter and I will post a pdf on the website.