Again from the VARLIST, posted by Carol Tiderman:
Some of you may have seen or heard of the movie
Contagion, which was released Friday, September 9. This Warner Brothers film
written by Steven Soderbergh is about a mysterious, fast-spreading virus that
kills countless humans around the world. In the end, it is concluded that the
virus was linked to bats.
Below is BCI's official statement about
Contagion.
"Although bats sometimes harbor pathogens, any
risk pales in contrast to the benefits bats provide. In fact, bats hunt and
reduce the number of insects carrying diseases such as West Nile Virus. And
scientists recently concluded that bats save American farmers billions of
dollars a year by consuming crop-destroying pests. Bats also pollinate many
valuable plants and disperse seeds that help restore damaged rainforests. In
North America, right now, bat populations are being decimated by their own
disease, White-nose Syndrome, which does not affect humans. For centuries, bats
have been threatened because of misinformation and myths. We hope this movie
does not encourage such needless fears."
Bat Conservation International is concerned that
the issues raised by this film may damage the cause of bat conservation. For
decades, we have worked to educate the public and to change negative
perceptions
about bats. We hope this movie will not undo the progress we have
made.
Sincerely,
Nina Fascione
Executive Director
