When The Bats Go, We Go: Putting a Stop to Taxidermy

By Abby Wahl

As far back as I can remember, bats have been my favorite animal. The environmental importance of the creature as well as their curiosity and aloofness drew me in, despite their portrayals in modern media as being evil sidekicks or omens of terrible things to come.

I find myself looking for the night flyers every evening as I come home, knowing that they are keeping the environment safe. You can imagine my disgust as I was browsing Etsy one night and came upon a listing for a taxidermy of a bat. Its wigs were spread out trapped in a glass case, never to fly again. This finding deeply disturbed me, as I never imagined for there to be a demand to display these delicate creatures.

The practice of stuffing dead animals can be dated back to Ancient Egypt, with beloved pets being immortalized with mummification and placed into their owner’s tombs. The most widespread use today could be seen when you walk into any natural history museum and wander through the various biomes populated by lifeless figures.

To preserve and present accurate depictions of animals, most museums will use taxidermy, depicting the animals in “lively” positions. This can be both an educational practice and a sentimental one, with the feelings that taxidermy can evoke for someone who has lost a beloved pet and wants them immortalized, there are also those who crave to possess exotic creatures as decorations for their homes.

Some of the biggest advocates against using exotic species for this purpose have been right next to us all along. The Lubee Bat Conservancy in Gainesville, Florida has been working for decades to defend the exploitation of bats. Their work started in the early 1990’s as they were able to facilitate the conference to sign a declaration to protect flying foxes on Pacific Islands from man-made harm. Lubee currently contains over 150 bats, most of which are flying foxes. They are the only organization to house endangered bats while maintaining active conservation and educational programs.

Lubee expressed great relief and joy on July 29^th  of 2024, as Etsy stopped authorizing the sales of bat specimens, which was received well by many bat conservations all over the world. From the initial search on Etsy now, using the words “bat taxidermy” and “stuffed bat,” I was only able to find one listing for $65. It is possible that many listings still fall through the cracks of the website, and it is up to the consumer to report them. All other listings of bat replicas on the website were made from fibers and glass, mimicking the likeness of the bat, without harm.  

While the fight might be over with Etsy, the prospects for bat protection on eBay still look grim. From the initial search, I was bombarded with hundreds of listings of bats, cradled in a hanging position, all ranging from $20 to $200. It was disturbing to see how many were still sold there, especially since Etsy has gone to such lengths to make sure their filters did not authorize the sale of any bats.

A way that eBay sellers would get around the filters is by including the word “insect” after bat. All species of bats are mammals, the only ones capable of sustained flight. The word “insect” is a common misconception about bats and is used in this context to further demean the creature. The species of bat sold was also not listed, as there are higher penalties for selling endangered species.  

Bats provide essential aid to the ecosystem, with smaller species eating insects and bigger species eating fruits and subsequently spreading pollen and seeds. Certain narratives about bats paint them out to be malicious and predatory towards humans. They get caught in their hair, drink their blood, and attack them unprovoked. Their depictions in popular media make them commonly associated with the “goth” subculture. Most species are presented in a stuffed form; however, some can be found sold in jars, coffins, or in separated parts, mainly their wings.

One of the species targeted the most by these markets was the Kerivoula picta or the Painted woolly bat, commonly found in South Asia. Its bright orange fur and black stripped wings being a magnet for online sellers as it represents traditional Halloween colors, making them popular amongst alternative communities. The Acerodon celebensis or the Sulawesi flying fox is another common bat species affected by unethical trade. Their dog-like appearance and large bodies make them easy targets for hunting in countries like Indonesia.  

Many sellers claim that these bats are “ethically sourced”, meaning the animal was already dead when they found it, however the level of poaching and hunting of bats for purposes of taxidermy has harmed the ecosystems of Southeast and South Asia. Bats are major pollinators within the forest biomes and their presence insures the growth of trees and fruits within the region. These poaching practices largely out way the number of bats that die from natural causes, leading to the animal becoming endangered.  

While it is frustrating to look at, reporting the listing and petitioning for large auctioning websites like eBay to stop the sale of these taxidermies helps restore bat populations worldwide. Our local and global ecosystems depend on the pollinators, especially nocturnal ones like bats to put in the work in keeping down insect populations and spreading seeds.

This can be done by simply reporting online listings or educating yourself on the various species of endangered bats by supporting local organizations like Lubee, that are affected by this market. You will not only be saving large biomes, but the small, hardworking creatures that keep them alive.