The Monteverde Bat Jungle is a fascinating look at a very specific ecosystem found in the Monteverde region. The culmination of over forty years of research by renown tropical bat biologist, Dr. Richard Laval, the Bat Jungle provides a insight into the secret lives of a most misunderstood creature. Dr. Laval, his wife, Meg and several concerned conservation-
ists have created a educational centerpiece in the Paseo de Stella tourist destination of Monteverde. The bats of the Bat Jungle have all had their biological clocks “reprogrammed” to believe that night begins at 9:00 am, making them active for all visitors to watch. The Bat Jungle is closely associated with Bat Conservation International and though it is operated as a for-profit center, the entire purpose of the center is to promote understanding of the importance of the bat worldwide, but most specifically in the rain and cloud forest.
While at the Monteverde Bat Jungle one can learn and observe much about these fascinating creatures. Everything that you might want to know is answered in the well designed and informative exhibits. What bats eat, how they communicate, their importance to the environment and even about their personalities and facial expressions. The Bat Jungle also has a very specialized flight cage which allows up to forty bats of more than ten species to exhibit natural behavior in confinement. The nearly fifty square foot flight area is designed to resemble the Monteverde Cloud Forest at night. Visitors are able to watch the bats feed and interact from a glassed viewing area. Another unique feature of the Monteverde Bat Jungle is that a special auditory program has been devised allowing all of the high pitched ultrasonic echolocation calls and social calls to be broadcast over loudspeakers in the visitor’s area. The use of high-tech specialized microphones allows for this most unique of experiences.
The Monteverde Bat Jungle is the first museum of its type attempted in Central America and strives to bring an understanding of the important ecological contribution of these animals. The goal is to have this understanding translate in to protection and conservation of bat population world wide. The Bat Jungle consists of many fascinating exhibits, of which one of the most popular are the food scales. This exhibit allows visitors to climb on scales and actually see the amount of insects, fruit or nectar they would have to consume if they were a bat of the same weight. Many other interesting interactive exhibits are available for visitors- exhibits that will teach you about the importance of bats for the control of bug populations, the significant role they play in pollinating flowers and their role in the regeneration of tropical forests. The cost for the Bat Jungle is nominal and a visit usually takes about an hour.
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