WEBVTT

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Flying through the night, 
I watch over this world,

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a silent guardian, a watchful protector,
a dark knight, I'm...

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Okay, fine. So, I'm not Batman.
I'm just a bat.

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But like Batman, I'm often misunderstood.

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People think I'm scary, 
strange and dangerous.

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If they only knew my story, though,
I'd be cheered as a hero.

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When people think of bats,

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many think of vampires 
who want to suck their blood.

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But the truth is 
that out of over 1200 bat species,

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only three are vampire bats.

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Out of these three, 
only one prefers the blood of mammals,

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and even these bats mostly feed on cattle.

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Maybe that still doesn't seem so great,

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but vampire bats 
can be a great help to humans.

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A chemical known as desmoteplase 
found in vampire bat saliva

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helps break down blood clots,

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and is being tested 
by recovering stroke victims.

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Of the remaining 1000+ species of bats, 
about 70% feed on insects.

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These bats help control 
the real vampires:

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mosquitos, whose nasty bites
are not just annoying

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but spread diseases, like West Nile virus.

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A single little brown bat 
can eat 1000 insects every hour,

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and a colony of Mexican free-tailed bats 
can eat several tons of moths

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in just one night.

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In the United States alone,

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bats provide an estimated 
3.7 billion dollars worth

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of free pest control for farmers,

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which benefits everyone 
who eats the foods that they grow.

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Fruit bats, also called megabats 
because of their large size,

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are important for the role 
they play in plant pollination.

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By traveling between flowers 
while feeding on nectar and fruits,

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these bats transport the pollen 
and seeds that help plants reproduce.

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In Southeast Asia, for example,

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the cave nectar bat is the only pollinator
of the durian fruit.

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Other bats pollinate peaches, bananas,

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and the agave plants 
that tequila is made from.

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Without them,

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many of our food plants would be unable 
to produce the tasty fruits we enjoy.

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As heroes of the ecosystem, 
bats have their own unique utility belts.

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Bats have been a source of inspiration 
for the design of flying robots

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and even an energy-efficient spy plane,

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as they are the only mammal 
capable of true powered flight.

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Echolocation, a type of biological sonar,
is also used by bats as a way to navigate

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and find prey in the dark.

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Although there's a common 
misconception that bats are blind,

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in truth, all species of bats have sight.

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And some have even adapted 
large eyes to see better in dim lighting.

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Many people worry 
about getting infected by bats,

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and like any other animals,
bats can carry diseases, like rabies.

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In reality, though, less than .5% of all bats
carry this virus.

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That's about the same odds as getting 
the same result on a coin flip

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eight times in a row.

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The perception that bats 
are often diseased

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may come from the fact that sick bats,

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who may show unusual behavior, 
emerge during the daytime,

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or be unable to fly,

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are more likely to be 
encountered by people.

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So a good way to protect yourself 
is to protect bats as well,

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keeping them healthy,
protecting their habitats,

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and reducing their risk 
of transmitting disease.

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In North America, bats are threatened 
by a devastating sickness

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called white-nose syndrome.

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This fungal infection 
causes bats to wake up

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while hibernating during a winter.

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Unable to find food, 
they expend large amounts of energy,

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and eventually starve to death.

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White-nose syndrome has wiped out
entire caves full of bats,

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with a mortality rate that can exceed 90%.

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Climate change and habitat destruction

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also pose serious threats 
to bat populations.

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For example, in January 2014,
a record heat wave in Australia

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caused over 100,000 bats 
to die from heat exhaustion.

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Some people just want 
to watch the world burn,

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and bats all over the world are threatened
by damage to the places that we call home,

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including mangrove swamps,

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old-growth forests,

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and, of course, bat caves.

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So even though I'm the hero of the story,
I do need to be saved.

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And now that you know 
the true story about us bats,

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you can learn how to protect 
such heroic animals.

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Install a properly designed bat box,

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one of the easiest ways 
to provide shelter for bats.

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Discourage the use of pesticides,
which can harm bats

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when we try to feed on the insects 
you want to get rid of in the first place.

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Avoid going into caves 
where you might disturb hibernating bats,

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and always decontaminate 
your gear after visiting a cave.

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If you have unwanted bats 
living in an attic or barn,

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contact your local government 
to safely and humanely relocate us.

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And if you come across a bat, 
do not attempt to handle it,

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but instead, call Animal Control.

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Batman might want to keep 
his identity secret,

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but a great way to help real bats
is by continuing to learn about them

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and spreading the truth 
that they are real heroes,

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even if their good deeds are often unseen.