Flying Fox Conservation Fund - is this really conservation?

Scott Heinrichs calls his organization the "Flying Fox Conservation Fund" (FFCF) but is it really conservation? Would a true bat conservationist keep bats in his basement, breed them, pull youngsters off of their mothers and sell them as pets?

Unfortunately, this appears to be the real story behind the Flying Fox Conservation Fund. And what Scot Heinrichs likely doesn't tell you is that bats bond for life, families stay together for life in the wild (imagine having your 6 year old ripped from your arms and sold to a stranger, never to be seen again). That is the equivalent of what happens when bat pups are pulled off of their mothers and sold for an average of $800 to $2,500 each. Plus, the buyer is likely not told that the "pet bat" they just bought WILL IN ALL LIKELIHOOD BE DEAD WITHIN A YEAR.

One of the unfortunate babies that FFCF ripped away
from its mother to be sold as a pet. Click to enlarge

When you look at the FFCF Google page you see that it's located in Chicago in a home, a "two-flat" home, not a spacious facility where bats are allowed freedom to fly and enjoy quality of life. Is this what you would expect from an organization that calls itself a conservation fund? Not only that, according to their very own website, they share this "two-flat" space with all of these animals: "Sloth, Fennec Fox, Armadillo, Kinkajou, Civet, Fruit Bat, Chinchilla, Ferret, Bearded Dragon, Crested Gecko, Boa Constrictor, Tree Frog, Pancake Tortoise, Tarantula, Hissing Roaches, Walking Sticks, Solomon Island Parrot, Lion Head Rabbit"

Lastly, this photo speaks volumes. This poor, heavily pregnant fruit bat is being held up by her delicate wings by Scott Heinrichs. If this doesn't scream total disrespect for an animal the FFCF touts to "conserve" then what does?

Scott Heinrichs holds a pregnant bat up by her delicate wings

Also see:

Pet Bat Information
Rescue Echo (Lisa's Creatures)
PetBat.netTop Ten Worst Pets

Zoological Wildlife Conservation Center - is this REALLY conservation?

Here are a few comments directly from the Zoological Wildlife Conservation Center's web page:

"...Our primary focus is on the long-term physical, mental and emotional care of captive wildlife populations. ...So when we sat down to write our "Mission Statement" we looked at hundreds of examples from our larger, albeit more powerful, brethren and realized one very moving thing, WE PUT THE ANIMALS FIRST ...We strive to develop ways to apply findings, no matter how minute, to the captive wildlife species in our care in an effort to develop advanced husbandry protocols for the betterment of captive held wildlife."

So why then, is the Zoological Wildlife Conservation Center selling Egyptian fruit bats into the cruel, exotic pet trade, knowing that these animal are doomed to a miserable short existence in tiny cages. Notice the Zoological Wildlife Conservation Center is selling pregnant bats, who will likely abort or abandon their pup because of the horrific life they have been sold in to?

This is one of the ads the Zoological Wildlife Conservation Center has placed on the internet. Notice the complete lack of enrichment and lack of a sufficient place to hide in this sad photo of the bats. What happened to "...our primary focus is on the long-term physical, mental and emotional care of captive wildlife populations." ???




Of course, the Zoological Wildlife Conservation Center's ad does not contain the information that the high price paid for these bats will be wasted when the bats die, likely within the very first year.
The Zoological Wildlife Conservation Center is no better than the "Flying Fox Conservation Fund" in taking the highest dollar possible for bats at the unsuspecting buyers expense.

BUYER BEWARE!


Also see:
Pet Bat Information
Rescue Echo (Lisa's Creatures)
PetBat.net
Top Ten Worst Pets

Exotic Animals For Sale - BUYER BEWARE

The site "Exotic Animals for Sale" is ILLEGALLY USING COPYRIGHTED to lure people to purchase a bat from the cruel exotic pet trade. They don't include the likely fact that BATS DON'T SURVIVE WHEN KEPT AS PETS.

Their ad states:
"Bats for sale... Why just look at bats when you can own a bat as a pet"

ExoticAnimalsforSale is using copyrighted photos to lure people to purchase bats as pets

Nowhere in the ad does it tell you that bats typically die within the first year of attempting to keep one as a pet, and the $800 to $2,500 a buyer spent on a "pet bat" is money wasted.