I have a wildlife zoo

The host nodded and said, "Eating wild game harms others and oneself!"

Then he rummaged through the papers and picked out a question, "Someone asks why bats are becoming increasingly scarce and are no longer seen?"

Having overheard the discussion among several people about their impression of bats, many viewers were reminded of their childhood!

They were suddenly surprised to find that while bats seemed quite prevalent in their youth, they imperceptibly disappeared. Why?

Wang Yan said, "The reasons for this are very complex!"

After some thought, he organized his language, "Firstly, their habitats are being destroyed; the size and integrity of these areas are decreasing, which is a problem faced by all wildlife.

Bats are actually one of the mammals with the strongest adaptability to the environment. This is why they used to seem common, but now human impact on the natural environment has become too great, making many habitats unsuitable for their survival.

Bats typically inhabit caves, abandoned mines, and tree hollows, as well as some abandoned buildings. Nowadays, many caves are being developed for tourism, which greatly reduces bat distribution. This is a major issue. Some bats live in abandoned mines; when these mines are closed off or filled in, urban construction demolishes ruins, forests are logged, and the clearing of woodland cuts down dead trees used by bats for roosting, all leading to mass bat fatalities.

Bats are social animals. If their habitat shrinks or becomes fragmented, they cannot sustain their populations in the long term. Habitat fragmentation can also isolate them from their hibernation areas, preventing normal hibernation and leading to population decline.

There are also some misconceptions about bats that have led to mass exterminations.

For instance, in South America, to prevent rabies, people attempted to use poison to kill vampire bats and even used explosives to destroy caves where bats roosted. This not only killed the vampire bats but also other species sharing the habitat.

Using insecticides to poison hibernating bats or disturbing them during hibernation results in them waking up and prematurely depleting fat reserves. They starve to death before spring arrives.

Persistent insecticides pose a significant threat as well; the accumulated toxins in bat bodies can affect the development of their nervous systems. Mass deaths of juvenile bats can severely impact population levels, possibly taking over a decade to recover.

Another factor is the subtle climate changes in their habitats. Temperature fluctuations are crucial for bats, particularly for nursing females and their young. For example, the cold summer of 1974 caused the developmental period of juvenile bats in Indiana, USA, to extend by two weeks. Migration was delayed by three weeks, affecting the accumulation of fat reserves for winter and resulting in mass deaths.

Moreover, microclimate conditions in habitats determine the abundance of insects. When the microclimate is unsuitable for insect growth, bats can die from a lack of food.

Global warming and the increase in climate anomalies bring about various unseen impacts."

The audience listened attentively to Wang Yan's explanation, feeling that he was truly worthy of being a researcher from Xinghe University with his extensive knowledge and ready familiarity with various cases and data.

This also sparked a flurry of thoughts, and they engaged in lively conversations with family and friends.

"Who would have thought that global warming affects bats too?"

"Indeed, the weather is not right these days. In previous years, temperatures would start dropping around October, but this year it's already mid-November and it's just now getting cold."

"Isn't warming supposed to be a good thing for bats?"

"But if it's warmer here, other places could be terribly cold! Didn't you hear? Climate also affects insect growth. Nature is so complex and precise, with everything having an effect on everything else, changes are definitely not something that can be summed up in a few words."

"Bats play such an important role in ecology. Now that their habitats are being destroyed, won't that have a bad impact on the environment?"

"It doesn't seem to be noticeable, does it?"

"

"Suddenly, it feels so dangerous… Could this be nature's warning to us?"

"We should seriously reflect on the damage we've done to the Blue Planet over the years! We need to protect their habitats and stop destroying the natural environment!"

The person who said this probably didn't realize that this is just the beginning on Earth; there's a long road ahead.

The host asked, "Why aren't bats afraid of viruses?"

Wang Yan replied, "Bats are a remarkable species. During flying, their metabolic rate increases by 15-16 times; it's like an engine that generates more heat with high-frequency motion, raising their body temperature to 40 degrees Celsius.

Most viruses that infect mammals prefer environments around 36 to 37 degrees Celsius. Thus, when humans contract viruses, fever is part of the immune system's self-healing process. With bats' internal temperature of 40 degrees, most viruses find it difficult to survive.

The viruses that do survive in such conditions are tough characters. Such high metabolism can also damage DNA, so bats have evolved a powerful DNA repair mechanism."

Fang Ye laughed and said, "So it turns out that bats actually contain many valuable secrets. If we humans could understand them deeply, perhaps we could find the key to resisting viruses."

Wang Yan nodded, "There is indeed significant research value in medicine, not just with viruses. For example, anticoagulant proteins extracted from the saliva of vampire bats dissolve blood clots twice as fast as some clinical drugs."

The two answered various questions from the audience!

You could feel that people's attitudes towards environmental protection and wildlife conservation have indeed changed significantly; the questions were very enthusiastic.

Previously, many would just pay lip service without truly feeling any impact on their own lives. Whether it's conservation or poaching, it didn't seem relevant to city dwellers who don't deal with wildlife. How could it possibly affect them?

However, attitudes have shifted; people are willing to learn and understand this content, boosting their awareness significantly.

Now, if they saw someone selling wild game in the market, they wouldn't hesitate to call the police immediately.

As the program was about to end, the host summarized, "Although bats may look unpleasant and carry viruses, they play a very important role in our ecosystem and are indispensable in maintaining ecological balance. I hope everyone can reduce their fear of bats and recognize them accurately and objectively.

The correct approach to bats and other wildlife is to maintain distance. Respecting nature is to protect ourselves."