7 Places to Experience Bat Tourism

Bat tourism draws attention to bats’ important role in ecosystems around the world and helps conserve populations while providing economic opportunities. Here are seven places to go if bat tourism sounds up your travel alley. © Tamas Melykuti - Dreamstime.com

At Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico, approximately 500,000 to 1 million bats take to the sky each evening in the summer months. Guests are invited to attend nightly ranger talks to learn more. © Mikekarcher - Dreamstime.com

The world’s largest bat colony lives in Texas, in Bracken Cave outside San Antonio. More than 15 million Mexican free-tailed bats make up the colony and are estimated to consume more than 100 tons of moths every night. © Daniel Holmes - Dreamstime.com

You don’t need to leave a city to find large bat colonies. The largest urban bat colony lives in Austin, Texas. More than 1 million live under Congress Avenue Bridge and hundreds of people congregate at night to watch them emerge. © Snatalia - Dreamstime.com

For bat tourism abroad, try Kasanka National Park in Zambia. There, 10 million fruit bats live on less than 2.5 acres. They roost in trees during the day and hunt for fruit at night. The bats are on the large size, with a six-foot wingspan. © Irishkoala - Dreamstime.com

Australia boasts its own in-the-works Great Australian Bat Tourism Trail. Bats make up 25 percent of Australia’s mammal species and the Australasian Bat Society provides guided tours to rave reviews. © William Cosby - Dreamstime.com

Visitors hike to Gunung Mulu National Park bat observatory in Borneo to glimpse the millions living in the park. The plentiful population is partially thanks to the park’s huge cave chambers. © Juhku | Dreamstime.com

For a somewhat spooky bat tour, visit a Renaissance fortress in Berlin home to 10,000 bats. The Spandau Citadel gives thems a winter home and guests observe the residents from a dedicated viewing room. © Lukas Blazek - Dreamstime.com