The best places around the world to see millions of bats

Not only do these flying mammals suffer from a terrible public image (contrary to rumors, bats do not perch in hair or necessarily carry rabies), but their very existence is at serious risk of habitat loss and disease.

But for all the problems bats face, one of the best ways to protect them may be to remove stigma and adopt bat tourism. Lisa Benesy, an associate professor at the University of Nebraska Lincoln, who has spent nearly 20 years studying bats, says: "Bat tourism is important because it helps communities find a reason to conserve large bat populations. Bats have historically suffered persecution due to misconceptions. Bat tourism can be of economic importance to the community and therefore provide an incentive to conserve bats." "Bats play a very important role in ecosystems as pollinators, insectivorous and fruit-eating animals. A number of species are essential and play a vital role in their ecosystems.

Congress Street Bridge: Austin, Texas

The Congress Street Bridge in Austin, Texas, is home to the world's largest urban bat colony. The bridge was rebuilt in 1980, and its cracks became an ideal place for bats, which began to flow on the bridge by the thousands. Austin residents reacted negatively at first, but they soon realized that nearly 1.5 million bats provide free pest control to the city, eating 10,000 to 20,000 pounds of insects each night.

The Austin Daily newspaper Austin American Statesman supported the establishment of the Stittsman Bat Observation Center, in the southeast corner of the bridge, which gives visitors a place to watch overnight flights. Every year, more than 100,000 people make a trip to Austin to watch bats take off on their evening flights.

Kasanka National Park, Zambia

Between October and December, nearly 10 million straw-colored fruit bats lived on one hectare of swampy forest in Kasanka National Park (for comparison, that's five times the number of wild animals in the Serengeti migration, one of the most famous examples of massive wildlife migration in the world). Bats settle in the trees where they are tempted by wild fruits that grow in the garden, so they crouch during the day and search for food at night. The straw-colored fruit bat is a subspecies found only in sub-Saharan Africa. Because they mostly eat fruit — an abundant food source — bats can weigh up to 11 ounces (with a wingspan of six feet) and live for up to 30 years in the wild.  Access to the park is not difficult as it is only a five-hour drive (along paved roads) from Zambia's capital, Lusaka.

Cairns, Queensland, Australia

Cairns, a city in Queensland, Australia's second-largest state, is home to a large number of amazing flying foxes – one of the largest bat species in the world. Due to its geographical location, serving as a gateway to the rainy tropical forests of the north (used by bats as a primary hunting area), Cairns is an attractive place for bats to crouch, which they have been doing in large numbers for many years, despite attempts by the Cairns City Council to get them going.

Cairns is also home to the Tolga Butt Hospital, which helps promote the rehabilitation and conservation of Australian bats. The hospital is open to visitors who can come to learn about and maintain bat behaviour while observing several species of bats native to Australia (including the flying fox).

Spandau Castle: Berlin, Germany

Completed in 1549, Spandau Castle in Berlin is one of the best preserved Renaissance castles in Europe. But under the vaulted roof of the castle lives a frightening secret: the place is actually home to one of the largest bat colonies in Europe, who have spent the winter in the castle since its completion.

Visitors can view 10,000 bats from a separate show room, or take a guided tour, which takes place from summer to early fall, when bats begin to return for winter.

Interested in learning about other bat sighting sites?  Bat Conservation International has created a fascinating map of other bat watching sites around the world