Read the full story from the Smithsonian.
Bats have had a rough year. Brought into the limelight by the coronavirus pandemic, their already spooky public image took wing for the worse. But they have more to worry about than bad press. Habitat loss, climate change, pesticides, hunting and a deadly disease called white-nose syndrome all threaten the survival of populations around the world. For Bat Week this year, we rounded up five reasons to love and conserve these misunderstood mammal.
