The Case For Vampire Bats

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  • Опубліковано 5 чер 2017
  • In Latin America, vampire bats drink the blood of big animals and spread the deadly rabies virus. Cows die. People die. Ranchers want them exterminated. But scientists are discovering these bats not only have weird abilities - they also form human-like friendships. Does that mean they should be protected? Or would the world be better without them?
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    To learn more about Gerry Carter's research on the social behavior of vampire bats: socialbat.org
    For More Info on bats and other interesting critters:
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    Credits:
    Produced by Ryan Kellman and Adam Cole (@cadamole)
    Senior Editors: Alison Richards and Andrea Kissack
    Supervising Editor: Anne Gudenkauf
    Tree loss map courtesy of Global Forest Watch (www.globalforestwatch.org/map)
    Infrared footage courtesy of Gerry Carter and Rob Mies
    Bat tongue: Marco Tschapka et. al.
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    Echolocation: Melville J. Wohlgemuth et. al. (journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...)
    Bat capturing moths: Aaron Corcoran ( • Bat echolocating and c... )
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 933

  • @kristakalnins2385
    @kristakalnins2385 6 років тому +900

    I really think it's selfish and egotistical to think that the bats have to be useful to humans in order to save them, they have every right to be on this planet as much as we do!

    • @megankeller9399
      @megankeller9399 5 років тому +99

      I agree with this so much. It seems like people only seem to care about conservation to benefit themselves or other people. Animals want to live just as much as we do, and THAT’S why we should save them, not based on their “value” to humans or the ecosystem. A dog is no more deserving of life than a spider. I wish more people would think like this.

    • @cherylputman7115
      @cherylputman7115 4 роки тому +69

      Selfish and egotistical.. That's a perfect description of the human race. We believe we're superior to all other life on earth. I think it's pretty disgusting. So, he'll no, we shouldn't exterminate vampire bats.

    • @user-if9oh6zt1j
      @user-if9oh6zt1j 4 роки тому +20

      @Dorset Deb why do idots like you always have to blame liberals for shit they dont agree with? There are plenty of conservatives who believe in equal treatment of animals, it's not just a liberal concern. Also wiping out an entire species of animal would be incredibly harmful for the ecosystem and the planet. We can find other solutions to these problems rather than just killing everything

    • @changingmypropiccausetrann4862
      @changingmypropiccausetrann4862 4 роки тому +2

      @@user-if9oh6zt1j Lol, the amount of right wingers that are that soft towards animal treatment, are very few compared to leftists.

    • @drthraxine
      @drthraxine 4 роки тому +6

      Do u think the same in regards to HIV virus ? Or any other harmful bacteria ? Are you serious with this Bs ? If something has no value to the echo system and it's harmful to everything it touches, it should be eradicated, it's not possible ofcourse and can't be done, but I won't sit here and listen to your moronic justification.

  • @dark-baker-the-ridiculoush2912
    @dark-baker-the-ridiculoush2912 3 роки тому +74

    Vampire bats are my favorite species of bats so I really do hope that we find a way to keep vampire bats safe

    • @oceanman5159
      @oceanman5159 2 роки тому +6

      I agree, but I basically like all species of bats for all the different reasons.

  • @SaltWaterDrums
    @SaltWaterDrums 7 років тому +516

    First of all, I cannot stress this point enough: Less than one tenth of 1% of all bats in the entire world ever get Rabies (citation) You’d have a better chance of getting Rabies from a stray dog. So to suggest we exterminate all Vampire Bats because perhaps one in one thousand carry Rabies is sickening. By this same logic, does that mean we should exterminate all domesticated dogs, cats, raccoons, and squirrels, too, on the chance they may have rabies? All are potential carriers of the disease. There is also a serious assumption made here: that the bats are in any condition to feed once they contract Rabies. Unlike a “mad dog”, a bat sick with Rabies becomes not aggressive but sluggish, stops flying and dies within days of contracting the disease.
    The video correctly states that Vampire Bats are captured and poisoned by “spreading a toxic paste on the back of a bat, and when the bat returns to its roost the poison spreads through the whole colony”. The video also says that this is not working, and may actually increase the spread of Rabies (how this can happen is not explained). According to The Secret Lives of Bats (Tuttle, Merlin. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt : NY, 2015) another common practice, not mentioned in the video, is the use of flamethrowers to exterminate bats, and the dynamiting of bat caves. Beyond ethics, the huge problem here is that the exterminators have little to no formal training in identifying a Vampire Bat. In Latin America, the colloquial word for bat translates to “vampire”. As only three of the 1,339 species of bats are actually vampires, there are hundreds of species, including insect and fruit-eating bats, who also die during these campaigns. To start an “exterminate-to-extinction” campaign in one of the most biodiverse bat habitats on Earth could spell disaster for its ecosystem, and human health. To kill any amount of insect eating bats, many of which look to the untrained eye very similar to a vampire (small and brown) would be potentially catastrophic, due to the fact that the home of the Common Vampire is also the home of the Zika Virus. The host of the video also states that “as far as we know, [Vampire Bats] don’t play any important role. The jungle would be just fine without them”. That is an extremely irresponsible statement, because “as far as we know” is not far at all. We have no idea what purpose these bats serve, but they would have gone extinct millions of years ago, or never evolved at all, if they did not serve some purpose.
    So what’s the solution? The only two offered are exterminating all the Vampires, or a “hugely expensive vaccination program - you’d have to [vaccinate] all the people, cows, pigs, even the bats”. Another mistake: You would not need to vaccinate the bats - that would be akin to vaccinating mosquitoes for Malaria, unnecessary and impractical. There is a third solution, one which virtually stopped Malaria in its tracks in the same country the video was filmed: Panama. During the construction of the Panama Canal, mosquito netting was instrumental in saving lives and staving off the deadly disease. Instead of asking the government to kill things, why not petition for mosquito netting or screens on the rancher’s homes? A bat cannot bite what it cannot reach. Lastly, besides an interview with a few of the ranchers, no scientific proof is offered ANYWHERE in the video or the accompanying article, connecting vampires and these rabies outbreaks. Where is the proof? The ranchers stated only that Vampires were biting their animals (and in some cases, some children who “lived over by the cows for a while”), but not that anyone or anything had died or been infected on their ranch. The video never answers its own question, “Should We Wipe Out Vampire Bats?”. Based on the erroneous statements, factual holes and lack of hard evidence throughout the video, Buddies for Bats has to say, “no”. Before we start killing off an entire species, let’s get all our facts straight, and think hard on the role these animals do play in their ecosystem, and our planet’s.
    Truth Muller
    Buddies for Bats, Founder facebook.com/LilBrownBat
    Bat Conservation International Speaker’s Bureau, Certified Bat Educator since 2013

    • @skunkbear
      @skunkbear  7 років тому +50

      Hi Truth - thanks for your comment - as you can see in the previous comments, I linked to your post and responded with some of my thoughts.

    • @SaltWaterDrums
      @SaltWaterDrums 7 років тому +27

      I've read your responses and I thank you for taking the time to respond to Buddies for Bat's points so thoroughly.

    • @shadowthehedgehog9190
      @shadowthehedgehog9190 7 років тому +23

      THANK YOU for this comment.

    • @marielenapotts848
      @marielenapotts848 7 років тому +17

      Truth Muller like how long did take to type all of that?

    • @SaltWaterDrums
      @SaltWaterDrums 7 років тому +14

      Marielena As the head of an organization (Buddies for Bats) that aims for accuracy, I treat these responses as articles, so a few hours to compose is normal. facebook.com/LilBrownBat.

  • @bray2964
    @bray2964 5 років тому +244

    For ages, the bats have been hunting mosquitos.
    Then... Some bat got a crazy idea:
    *Let's Become The Mosquitos!*

    • @imreallybatman
      @imreallybatman 3 роки тому +3

      soo true lol

    • @misterm5063
      @misterm5063 2 роки тому +3

      you've become the very thing you swore to destroy.

    • @fumikoadullaha449
      @fumikoadullaha449 2 роки тому

      That’s why they should be exterminated I love animals but I’m not going to let them eat me or my family to me they seem like lazy entitled and aimless

    • @awrongperson
      @awrongperson 4 місяці тому +2

      to cut out the middleman, so to speak

  • @howardyates4848
    @howardyates4848 6 років тому +21

    Vampire bats don't even actively bite humans, and they are barely dangerous. Your about 10x likely to die from a mosquito than a vampire bat, don't suggest killing them all.

    • @howardyates4848
      @howardyates4848 6 років тому +1

      Edit; I just went on Wikipedia, only 0.5% of vampire bats carry rabies.

  • @lisandrali.
    @lisandrali. 6 років тому +74

    Cmon, The cuddle with other bats, How sweet is that?

    • @prixe12
      @prixe12 3 роки тому +6

      @@desertedanimalow the edge

    • @premlochab27
      @premlochab27 2 роки тому

      And deadly !

    • @Cooperlandsmann14
      @Cooperlandsmann14 4 місяці тому +1

      Just as long as the bats are healthy and are not sick

  • @owenw.1643
    @owenw.1643 7 років тому +42

    love how quickly this video turned, i was starting to think the idea of killing them wasnt so bad, and then they started talking about the cuddles... now i have tears in my eyes

    • @SergioLeonardoCornejo
      @SergioLeonardoCornejo 2 роки тому

      Generally speaking, making any veryebrate species go extinct is a terrible idea. Even some invertebrates are more important than we think.
      Now, tapeworms and other parasitic invertebrates though, well. We must investigate further, because their existence looks like a net negative.

  • @sharonkaczorowski8690
    @sharonkaczorowski8690 3 роки тому +25

    I was afraid of bats as a child...the whole get in your hair thing terrified me. Then I saw a vampire bat at the Sonora Desert Museum and fell in love! They were adorable with their little doggie like faces and tiny teeth.

  • @stainlesssteel3162
    @stainlesssteel3162 5 років тому +44

    Even though vampire bats aren't a major carrier of rabies and that you're more likely to catch rabies from a squirrel, i think we should also remember to ask "who caused this?"
    Once again our ignorance and greed is to blame, and this is what we get for destroying and tampering with the ecosystem.

    • @HORIZONNNN
      @HORIZONNNN Рік тому

      Rodents are less likely to carry the virus. You’ll most likely get it from domestic dogs and cats, coyotes and Raccons

  • @peterc1911
    @peterc1911 7 років тому +173

    Loved the video. Trying to kill them off will likely end up doing some unintended bad thing.

  • @vegetafan9922
    @vegetafan9922 5 років тому +22

    A Jamaican fruit bat
    "Skkrreeee,Mun!"

  • @Jon_beetle
    @Jon_beetle 6 років тому +8

    I genuinely teared up a bit thinking that it was the bats very ability to be social aiding the spread of poison, they just want to hug but are killing each other in the process.

  • @Randomdudefromtheinternet
    @Randomdudefromtheinternet 4 роки тому +8

    Maybe there's a way to fix this without killing them off, maybe by returning their original prey or by breeding their predators and settle them nearby villages (birds of prey mostly, maybe by raising owls to have a taste for vampire bat meat, then nest them nearby villages, that way vampire bats will avoid villages).

  • @DivineTimeline
    @DivineTimeline 7 років тому +44

    We'd lose a model of ideal mammalian cooperation: resource economics.
    Sesame Street taught us this, but adults forget, it's called sharing.

  • @roastedcrickets1767
    @roastedcrickets1767 6 років тому +27

    NOOOO bats are my favorite animal, always will be, never will not be, AND NO ONE CAN CHANGE MY MIND.

    • @abigailporras5243
      @abigailporras5243 6 років тому +6

      Honeystream Pancake I am on your side🤞🖖🤘

    • @Dreamsoniacxx
      @Dreamsoniacxx 6 років тому +2

      I wanna join cause bats are also my favorite

    • @abigailporras5243
      @abigailporras5243 6 років тому

      ThatOnePersonWhoLoves Fandoms
      you have a good heart
      for bat!😉😊💗💗❤❤❤💖💎✌

    • @marvthevampire3004
      @marvthevampire3004 5 років тому +3

      Bats are my favorite
      They should eat us. there are too many people not enough bats

    • @raven7146
      @raven7146 5 років тому

      Honeystream Pancake same

  • @hartini1186
    @hartini1186 4 роки тому +10

    I thought if we get bite by a 'vampire bat', we could be a vampire. Turns out, it isn't. I was sad 😔

    • @cosmicdoggo9296
      @cosmicdoggo9296 4 роки тому +2

      You can get a Corona or rabies thats close inuff right?

    • @hartini1186
      @hartini1186 4 роки тому

      @@cosmicdoggo9296 yeh it is for now-

  • @TuberoseKisser
    @TuberoseKisser 5 років тому +4

    We don't realize what we have till we loose them. Removing Vampire bats will show us what we lossed, especially since their saliva is being used in medicine.

  • @skunkbear
    @skunkbear  7 років тому +26

    The facebook group Buddies for Bats just posted a critique of this video -
    you can read it here: facebook.com/LilBrownBat/posts/1343313549089989:0
    This post brings up several points that I am happy to address. First - the general critique that this video does not include various pieces of information. This piece is the longest video we have ever published, and we made it that long because we wanted to capture the different perspectives and nuanced ideas surrounding this topic. The first two minutes don’t contribute much to the story, but we felt it was important to underscore that nearly ALL bats are harmless.
    One big thing we didn’t have time to delve was the fact that campaigns to eliminate vampire bats sometimes take out other bat species. People think all bats are vampire bats - and those mis-informed humans kill indiscriminately, deeply damaging the ecosystem. That’s one of the reasons we wanted to be very clear about bat diversity up front. It’s also why the poison paste method mentioned in the video is employed by the government - in theory, the poison is spread by grooming, and vampire bats only groom their own species, so there is no intra-species contamination. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3060955

    • @skunkbear
      @skunkbear  7 років тому +3

      On to some of the specific points from Buddies for Bats. In the video, I mentioned that efforts to cull vampire bats might actually increase the spread of rabies. That’s based on recent research from Daniel Streicker. He wrote to me “There are several hypotheses there (none of which has been sufficiently tested)” - we decided not to tease out those various hypotheses in the video.

    • @skunkbear
      @skunkbear  7 років тому +1

      Another point from BfB: “You would not need to vaccinate the bats - that would be akin to vaccinating mosquitoes for Malaria, unnecessary and impractical.” People are actually working on vaccinating mosquitos in an effort to eliminate malaria and dengue: www.sciencemag.org/news/2014/10/beat-malaria-and-dengue-vaccinate-mosquitoes. Vaccinating vectors and reservoirs can be an effective way to eliminate a disease. Gerry Carter suggested we might be able to vaccinate the bats via a similar system to the poison paste - catch one bat, and have it bring an oral vaccine back to its roost.

    • @skunkbear
      @skunkbear  7 років тому +4

      BfB suggested: “Instead of asking the government to kill things, why not petition for mosquito netting or screens on the rancher’s homes? A bat cannot bite what it cannot reach.” That’s a great idea that actually wasn’t brought up by anyone I talked to. It would certainly limit the loss of human life - but that’s only half of ranchers’ concern. They also don’t want their cattle to die - and their herds live outside, so they wouldn’t be protected by netting.

    • @skunkbear
      @skunkbear  7 років тому +4

      In the video, I mentioned that “as far as we know [Vampire Bats] don’t play any important role.” That’s true - none of the experts I talked to could point to a specific ecosystem service vampire bats provide. It’s also true, as Buddies for Bats points out, that “‘as far as we know’ is not far at all.” That’s an important point. Our understanding of the way the world works is so limited - it would be foolish to assume we figured it out. But if you are trying to argue the case for the bats to someone who wants them killed, it’s hard to point to something specific that they do for the world. [A related question: should we only protect things that have a known purpose? I think most ecologists would say no].

    • @skunkbear
      @skunkbear  7 років тому +2

      Another quote from Buddies for Bats: “We have no idea what purpose these bats serve, but they would have gone extinct millions of years ago, or never evolved at all, if they did not serve some purpose.” I think this gets evolution wrong. Organisms do not evolve to serve a purpose. They also don’t go extinct because they cease to serve a purpose. Would the extinction of vampire bats send out ripples? Probably, but we have no evidence to support that based on current science.

  • @KQEDDeepLook
    @KQEDDeepLook 7 років тому +40

    Terrific video as always! Are we talking about wiping out the local population / subspecies, or an entire species? How close is the nearest relates species of vampire bat (if any?)

    • @skunkbear
      @skunkbear  7 років тому +10

      I think the ranchers would say - whatever works! Unfortunately, current efforts to poison local populations don't seem to stop the spread of rabies - in fact, they might have the opposite effect. One solution would be to completely eradicate the entire species - but of course, that would be nearly impossible. How would you get to all the bats? Who would fund it?

    • @skunkbear
      @skunkbear  7 років тому +9

      There are three species of vampire bat - two that primarily feed on birds (Diaemus youngi and Diphylla ecaudata) and then the hero of our story (Desmodus rotundus) who prefers mammals. They all have a pretty similar range, though I think Desmodus rotundus is much more abundant because it has access to all that free food. There are some accounts of the other species switching to mammal and even human blood now that bird populations are dwindling.

    • @KQEDDeepLook
      @KQEDDeepLook 7 років тому

      Thanks!

  • @AnalkingSkinwalker69
    @AnalkingSkinwalker69 4 роки тому +6

    I think vampire bats have an important role
    To keep away humans from destroying the jungles

  • @emilyharp3120
    @emilyharp3120 5 років тому +7

    We watched this in science class today, and it changed the minds of many students of how they view the vampire bat. Thank you!

    • @shaheedharun445
      @shaheedharun445 4 місяці тому

      They are a straight pest! Are you going to force your class into sympathizing for serial killers next?

  • @trentons2000
    @trentons2000 7 років тому +5

    It could be possible to use CRISPR to introduce a gene that makes vampire bats immune to the Rabies virus, and make it a dominant gene, having that immunity spread throughout the mating line (much like what certain scientists are trying to do with mosquitoes and malaria). Sure, it would take a lot of time, but eventually it would create an entire species of vampire bats that can't spread rabies. It could prove insanely beneficial, preserving both the livestock addressed here, as well as saving these vampire bats from extinction.

  • @mikylafleming9058
    @mikylafleming9058 7 років тому +104

    I like bats

    • @marielenapotts848
      @marielenapotts848 7 років тому +3

      Mindy Fleming so do I, my favourite species is the long eared bat 🦇

    • @raven7146
      @raven7146 5 років тому

      Mikyla Fleming me too

    • @KakorineReal
      @KakorineReal 5 років тому +1

      @@marielenapotts848 mine is the vampire bat

    • @Rassenomatjutut
      @Rassenomatjutut 5 років тому

      Me too (although it's thanks to mr. Bruce Wayne); it's not the bats who want to harm us, it's humans who are uncapable to interact with them.

    • @muhammedm1998
      @muhammedm1998 4 роки тому

      I like Humans more than bats.......

  • @jerrygu5316
    @jerrygu5316 7 років тому +152

    Sure they have an ecological role, keeping them pesty humans away from the jungle.

    • @johncharles3907
      @johncharles3907 2 роки тому +1

      hahaha

    • @mintykiwi
      @mintykiwi 2 роки тому +2

      judging by what people are doing to jungles rn i would say it's a pretty important role (although there are people who do traditionally live in the jungle, they know how to take care of it and not you know destroy it for resources)

  • @DanieleTrapani
    @DanieleTrapani 7 років тому +11

    Amazing episode, thanks Skunk Bear!

  • @kaavishnaidu9863
    @kaavishnaidu9863 6 років тому +28

    Vampire bats are also living creatures they just suck blood but we eat animals example:beef chicken pork deer.You just can,t let them die

  • @chrissim4115
    @chrissim4115 6 років тому +85

    "Drive them to extinction" Perfect humans are good at this 😒

  • @pusheenbuttercup8319
    @pusheenbuttercup8319 3 роки тому +3

    Honestly I think eliminating "rabies" would be the best approach, not just for vampire bats but all the other animals they spread that to. Bats aren't the only thing that get it after all. I'm sure it is very expensive and would take a lot of work- but long term solutions are often better, right? Obviously of course I can't say where in the heck you'd get the money from, and getting human beings to all cooperate and agree is difficult enough as it is... but it certainly sounds worthwhile to me.

  • @spaniardlex8222
    @spaniardlex8222 4 роки тому +6

    5:05 He just rolls up and says "Mmmm mm!! I love me some pork chops!"

    • @Dragonmongamer
      @Dragonmongamer 4 роки тому

      Spaniard Lex bat: especially the juicy pork chops

  • @justintouchon2726
    @justintouchon2726 7 років тому +5

    Awesome video Gerry! Skunk Bear, thank you for telling such a compelling and interesting story.

  • @MrGweilo
    @MrGweilo 7 років тому +66

    Skunk Bear your videos never EVER disappoint. It's such a delight, every time

  • @Become-Eggplant
    @Become-Eggplant 6 років тому +2

    If you get rid of vampire bats, how is batman going to get his daily dose of "Traumatize me because I'm terrified of bats"? As well as filling up the Bat cave.

  • @NessaTheBat1
    @NessaTheBat1 5 років тому +15

    It's a great video. I love bats and they're amazing. I don't think that exterminate them would be good. The relationship between humans and wolves get better too. It's very cute how they act with each other.

    • @SergioLeonardoCornejo
      @SergioLeonardoCornejo 2 роки тому

      I think there must be a way to erradicate rabies without eliminating the entire species.
      It may require raising a clean populatin in restricted territories and culling the infected ones though.

  • @LukeVelly
    @LukeVelly 6 років тому +17

    Blame Columbus!

  • @ostrich3335
    @ostrich3335 2 роки тому +2

    I love them so much they’re such cute little bats

  • @blueberrychocolate4238
    @blueberrychocolate4238 3 роки тому +8

    I love bats, and seeing people question whether or not to just exterminate a species hurts.

  • @OrionInskip
    @OrionInskip 6 років тому +51

    Do you know what other species serves no beneficial purpose? Humans.

    • @crazygreninja1150
      @crazygreninja1150 5 років тому +1

      Livestock in farms are mostly for our source of food. Other that they do nothing to us. Humans call them very useful.

    • @MadamePianissima
      @MadamePianissima 5 років тому +2

      So im guessing you completely forgot wildlife preservation exists.
      P.S. Pandas would be extinct if it wernt for humans .

    • @MC-qc9iz
      @MC-qc9iz 5 років тому +5

      @@MadamePianissima humans wouldn't have cut many of their habitat, so who knows. And then, that's just nature, species just vanish because they haven't learned how to adapt to a new environment... So no, humans in that sense serve no beneficial purpose. Yes, we can "balance" a specific area through hunting (with the right plan I mean) and other things, but in a natural perspective... No, we being on top of the chain do not serve some sort of beneficial purpose. We think we control nature, but that's not the case: we're ruining it, we're polluting our planet, exploiting our planet.

    • @MadamePianissima
      @MadamePianissima 5 років тому +1

      @@MC-qc9iz You literally just contradicted yourself. Lmao

    • @luisalonso959
      @luisalonso959 4 роки тому +4

      @@MadamePianissima we erradicate more than we save.Pandas are still alive cause they are cute and harmless compare to any other kind of bear.

  • @Rytonic69
    @Rytonic69 4 роки тому +3

    That's so sad, that the poison spreads from bat to bat because they like to hug it out!

  • @justinabullard
    @justinabullard 7 років тому +2

    Another beautiful video, please keep them coming!

  • @TranslucentStudios
    @TranslucentStudios 7 років тому +2

    Another informative entertaining video from you. Thank you so much. Keep them coming.

  • @AkilahOsa
    @AkilahOsa 3 роки тому +4

    I learned a lot from this short video, I really didn't know any of this stuff, but I wish to know more. So I'm going to do some more research. Because I really do like bats.🦇

  • @willemvandebeek
    @willemvandebeek 7 років тому +32

    difficult question that remains unanswered... :-/
    But I am in the 'do not wipe out'-camp, because you can ask the same question about mosquitos, (which suprised me that comparison wasn't made instead of wolves)...
    yes, they are parasites, but they are also part of an eco-system, who knows what you will eliminate with them...

    • @cosmicdoggo9296
      @cosmicdoggo9296 4 роки тому +1

      Killing of mosquitos is well if people knew how to do that we would have done it a long time a go

  • @amhodson
    @amhodson 7 років тому +2

    Awesome work. Again. Keep it up. I run a philosophy class at my high school. This is a perfect prompt for a needed conversation.

  • @blackironman4947
    @blackironman4947 4 роки тому +10

    Vampire Bats: Coronavirus hehe.
    Batman: Am I joke to you😂

  • @thespaceace8164
    @thespaceace8164 6 років тому +4

    What didn't Columbus fuck up?

  • @DjProfiK
    @DjProfiK 3 роки тому +3

    Who are we to play god and decide to drive a species to extinction
    Edit: except mosquitoes they gotta go

  • @Checkmate___
    @Checkmate___ 4 роки тому +1

    "bats love to cuddle" that's the cutest fucking thing I've ever heard in my entire life

  • @sirfijoe450
    @sirfijoe450 6 років тому +2

    Literally only 0.5% of vampire bats carry rabies

  • @mikedearing7736
    @mikedearing7736 2 роки тому +4

    So vampire bats need to be useful to ‘us’ in order to be worth saving?
    That’s ridiculous
    Loved the video btw

    • @mrkewi1
      @mrkewi1 Рік тому

      well that's out selfish, greedy humans for you.

  • @fireamber5027
    @fireamber5027 6 років тому +6

    Batman is really important too

  • @ThorirMarJonsson
    @ThorirMarJonsson 3 роки тому +1

    That was a wonderful video!

  • @KGisthename
    @KGisthename 6 років тому

    Awesome video! Subscribed!

  • @bobkarh
    @bobkarh 5 років тому +8

    "How are vampire bats useful to us?"...' I would answer with another question: What would it do to us,as humans, if we took them to extinction?, Do we want more blood in our hands?, Is that how we deal with problematic living beings?, "if it's not useful then it has to go"... The conservation of vampire bats is useful because it help us maintain our humanity.

  • @babehunter1324
    @babehunter1324 6 років тому +3

    But if we lost them... Where would Future Predators evolve from? :'(

  • @ValexrockerX29
    @ValexrockerX29 Місяць тому

    Hearing “Taking me into the batcave” is cooler than it should be

  • @nigel-b
    @nigel-b 3 роки тому +3

    For thousands of years they weren't a problem ?!? ... the first vampire bats evolved around 26 Million years ago ... they've been here ... not being a problem ... a lot longer than humans

  • @Rex-lg6co
    @Rex-lg6co 4 роки тому +4

    "Most bats are harmless"
    Covid-19: Are you sure about that?

    • @gamercinderace5030
      @gamercinderace5030 4 роки тому +4

      The bat thing is a rumor, plus, if it were true, they were eaten, they didn't bite.

  • @senantiasa
    @senantiasa 4 роки тому

    Aww, that was heartwarming... I can't believe to find vampire bats adorable now.. LOL

  • @alexwilson6513
    @alexwilson6513 6 років тому

    That was really interesting, thank you!

  • @BatArtDays
    @BatArtDays 6 років тому +12

    Dont kill them!!!!!!

  • @TheGamingVillas
    @TheGamingVillas 7 років тому +8

    Honestly, wiping out one species usually isn't that great of an idea. No one really knows what damage can be done until after it is done. Still I don't see any purpose that vampire bats serve.

    • @tesserisfour
      @tesserisfour 7 років тому +4

      TheGamingVillas do you have a "Serve"?? of course not you're just a kid who lives in a City you just buy food and pollute the world

    • @TheGamingVillas
      @TheGamingVillas 7 років тому

      excuse me? Are you seriously arguing I'm useless so vampire bats should be left alone?

    • @tesserisfour
      @tesserisfour 7 років тому +5

      TheGamingVillas yeah humans are the problem we come here destroy other animals habitats and shit on them just like you but still some animals are useless like mosquitoes yes they pollinate but we have bees and butterflies and unlike humans we don't serve a purpose we just shit on the earth

    • @TheGamingVillas
      @TheGamingVillas 7 років тому

      XxSlayerKillzxX people are more important than animals

    • @tesserisfour
      @tesserisfour 7 років тому +5

      TheGamingVillas tell me why??

  • @MUtley-rf8vg
    @MUtley-rf8vg 7 років тому +1

    This video is just packed full of so much awesome.

  • @robrodriguez9243
    @robrodriguez9243 4 роки тому +2

    They are so cute! them feeding eachother and cuddling ❤️🦇❤️🦇❤️🦇❤️🦇

  • @nickc3657
    @nickc3657 7 років тому +15

    As someone with access to rabies vaccine and closed-window housing, I'm pretty sure I have no right to ask these people to suffer for the sake of biodiversity. Ultimately there's no easy answer here, it's a messy situation :/

    • @anthonycraig4698
      @anthonycraig4698 6 років тому +2

      Nick C fuck those ranchers hope less than 1 percent of v bats have rabies

    • @charlottewalnut3118
      @charlottewalnut3118 5 років тому +1

      Yeah as someone who gives no shit about ranchers i want them sent to north korea

  • @maxsilbert
    @maxsilbert 7 років тому +39

    I don't know, the bats are damaging these farmers livelihoods and I don't think the romantic argument justifies doing nothing about them

    • @hitokitty
      @hitokitty 7 років тому +9

      I was wondering this myself. Wolves are at the apex of the food chain they're in, causing massive changes to the ecosystem. Bat's aren't in this same position, and we're only talking about one species here. Arguing with a romanticized point against the hardships of these farmers, including the rabies risk seems to be grasping at straws. Unless the scientific community can offer more substantial reasons to keep them around, similar to the anticoagulant, I don't see the people of these regions sympathizing much.

    • @BernardoSutter
      @BernardoSutter 7 років тому +18

      max silbert I'm not sure talking about ethics and about what's right and wrong is merely romantic. There are some things that have inherent value without being useful. Those bats need to be kept in check, but I don't want to have to tell my children that the famous vampire bats once really existed.

    • @SolaceEasy
      @SolaceEasy 7 років тому +5

      These farmers are damaging the vampire bats lives, but do provide the bats with livelihood too.

    • @geraldcarter2216
      @geraldcarter2216 7 років тому +11

      Killing vampire bats can actually increase rabies prevalence and have bad public health effects in the long-term. Better to vaccinate.

    • @anthonycraig4698
      @anthonycraig4698 6 років тому +4

      max silbert yes then we should exterminate​ those pesky humans every last one of those disgusting sacks of waste

  • @williamcole960
    @williamcole960 Рік тому +2

    As a non-rancher, these little guys are my favorite and I think they're very cute so I say, don't kill them(-:

  • @Chairchaser6677
    @Chairchaser6677 4 роки тому

    This video is making crying because seeing a vampire bat trapped in a cage and another vampire bat coming in and feet it this is such a beautiful scene

  • @e-krabse.t3498
    @e-krabse.t3498 6 років тому +1

    wow that just blew my mind this video was just plain out amazing
    i did't know they did that cool

  • @eazythedon54st
    @eazythedon54st 4 роки тому

    Awesome Video!

  • @batsrule
    @batsrule 2 роки тому

    Thanks for the info ❤️🦇

  • @OverBankOscar
    @OverBankOscar 2 роки тому +2

    “Should humans wipe out this species?” What sort of question is that. These are the type of people I don’t think deserve what they have.

  • @stephenleblanc4677
    @stephenleblanc4677 4 роки тому +2

    Nice video. I wish you answered the question posed. What is the range of vampire bats? Are there ways to control the bats around people/livestock that don't threaten the survival of the species.

  • @Weredawg
    @Weredawg 6 років тому

    Great video! Cool to see my home country being featured.

  • @carolinatiepel2747
    @carolinatiepel2747 7 років тому +1

    They should have asked these farmers: How many people in your area died last year from rabies after a vampire bat bite, how many after a dog bite and how many were killed by a fellow human being?

  • @HORIZONNNN
    @HORIZONNNN Рік тому +2

    Wiping out a species because they aren’tuseful is not gonna do anything. Vampire bats are not the only species to carry rabies. Domestic stray animals like dogs and cats can spread it too.
    While it’s expensive, I’m all for vaccinating the entire cattle population and the people where these bats inhabit.
    I love these cute little bats. They really are just like us.

  • @hynesshigh5818
    @hynesshigh5818 6 років тому +1

    *after knowing that bats treat each other like families and how useful they are makes don't want to hurt them*

  • @rebeccashapley3029
    @rebeccashapley3029 5 років тому

    This is the best vampire bat video I've found.

  • @SkkyKiddx
    @SkkyKiddx 6 років тому

    You guys need more subscribers.

  • @stephanieleavell356
    @stephanieleavell356 7 років тому

    Bravo! Wonderful video.

  • @johncharles3907
    @johncharles3907 2 роки тому +2

    The world is just cooler with more diverse animals, we need some animals to inspire Dracula stories as well

  • @skiiimsk
    @skiiimsk 4 роки тому +2

    The “vampire bats are bad narrative” could also apply to humans lol

  • @littlemrpinkness295
    @littlemrpinkness295 3 роки тому +2

    They have little piggy faces. So cute!

  • @cherylputman7115
    @cherylputman7115 4 роки тому

    Walk into a dark room with vampire bats AND........... Cue the creepy squeaking door! Lol

  • @dolphinsdaydreams
    @dolphinsdaydreams 5 років тому

    Very wise words of Dr. Gerry Carter.

  • @1718renzo
    @1718renzo 2 роки тому

    Great video

  • @ashleybelldubai
    @ashleybelldubai 7 років тому +2

    Awww they feed one another 😭❤❤❤

  • @Ihamed20985
    @Ihamed20985 3 роки тому +1

    I mean if we don’t know their role yet doesn’t mean they don’t have one, maybe we just didn’t discover it yet???
    Really great video btw

  • @PavelMiklyaev13
    @PavelMiklyaev13 7 років тому

    Wow! Thanks, it was interesting!

  • @haf816r
    @haf816r 6 років тому +1

    The bats and trees were there long before the invasive species (people, cattle) came in and destroyed their habitat. Plus they're cute! Lol!

  • @SolaceEasy
    @SolaceEasy 7 років тому +2

    So more cattle equals more vampire bats. They want more cattle. Doesn't that mean more vampire bats?
    How about eat less beef, and meat, world.

  • @DrNajeebLecturesJr
    @DrNajeebLecturesJr 2 роки тому +1

    Okay I like it ty for telling!

  • @fashioneyefromthestraightg9984
    @fashioneyefromthestraightg9984 4 роки тому

    I actually enjoy all types of species of bat I enjoy learning about them I even try to build bat houses for them

  • @xmazorax8075
    @xmazorax8075 6 років тому

    I've seen many cute bats and even the scary ones are harmless the animals never feel a thing and how much blood can such a tiny thing hold

  • @andriswood5434
    @andriswood5434 4 роки тому

    They're just the cutest floofy woos!!!

  • @Elimenator89
    @Elimenator89 2 роки тому

    its always when something dies out they find they did have a purpose creating a new problem

  • @ragecoder5351
    @ragecoder5351 6 років тому

    Nice animations

  • @MsPabloRms
    @MsPabloRms 4 роки тому +1

    You better not mess up with my tequila bats!!!

  • @BoogedyBobby
    @BoogedyBobby 2 роки тому

    "Children wake up with bites on their feet" I don't know where on earth other than an island where the only life form is a worm that doesn't have sleeping bags.

  • @Rassenomatjutut
    @Rassenomatjutut 5 років тому +1

    3:26 Thanks for opening the Pandora's box, captain Columbus.😐