Lubee Bat Conservancy: The Bat Center

Saving Bats. Conserving Ecosystems.

Fruit Bat Conservation Bats make up one fifth of all terrestrial mammals (1,116 species). They are among the most endangered of the world's creatures, primarily because much of their habitat has been eliminated by human development or because they are persecuted. Because bats are important seed dispersers and pollinators for many native plants, and key insect predators globally, their loss has serious consequences for the ecosystems to which they belong

Lubee Bat Conservancy is an international non-profit organization working with others to save fruit bats and their habitats through research, conservation, and education.

Lubee runs a research and conservation breeding center, located 10 miles north of Gainesville Florida. The Bat Center is composed of research and conservation scientists, animal keepers and supporting personnel. Operational funding is provided principally from the proceeds of an endowment set up by Luis Bacardi. Additional program funding is provided through grants obtained by visiting/resident esearch scientists, foundation/grant support to Lubee, and individual support of Lubee.

We work with a world-wide team of conservation scientists, educators and zoological institutions, linking field studies with research and training at our Bat Center, and building capacity of communities to conserve fruit and nectar bats and their essential ecosystem services through education outreach.

The principle goals of the center are to:

Forge cross-disciplinary studies and collaborative research on bat biology and ecology
Promote training opportunities for scientists and students in the fields of bat biology, genetics, physiology and ecology
Transfer conservation science knowledge directly to the public through informal science education and publications.

There is extensive recognition of the growing role of specialized research and training centers that enable the integration of people, ideas and tools to significantly impact key science fields and cross disciplinary areas. Lubee maximizes the opportunities provided by its unique living animal collection to facilitate research that leads to a greater understanding of the fascinating biology and ecology of fruit and flower bats, and improved conservation management of wild and captive populations.

The Center’s focus on charismatic animals and recognition of the critical relationship between bats, ecosystems and human health and societies, provides a unique opportunity to address key research questions about bats, while promoting a public friendly saleable conservation message, and is an ideal teaching tool.

Working with the University of Florida

Fruit Bat Conservation Effective conservation requires a solid scientific foundation. The Lubee Center for Bat Research was established to strengthen this foundation. Through collaboration between the Lubee Bat Conservancy and University of Florida, the center promotes research and education in the biology and conservation of tropical fruit and flower bats, and the ecosystems they live in and support. Because of the urgent need to understand, conserve, and restore rapidly disappearing bat populations and habitats in tropical regions, the center strives to facilitate research and the training of the next generation of conservation scientists who will face the challenge of solving ecological problems in tropical countries. The University of Florida is ideally situated for this role owing to a strong group of faculty in its Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Department, Zoology Department, and School of Veterinary Medicine, which provide the opportunity for multidisciplinary research collaborations. This partnership has been strengthened over the years with appointment and research funding support provided by Lubee through the University of Florida Foundation, including a Visiting Assistant Professor, Wildlife & Zoological Medicine Service, SACS, (1992-1994), Lubee Research Associate in Physiological and Tropical Ecology, Zoology Department (1991-1995), Bacardi PhD Fellowship, The Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Department (1996-2002). Lubee provides a training center for UF’s Zoological Medicine Program residents and students, hosting between 3-6 students every other week.

Fruit Bat Conservation The goals and activities of Lubee reflect the University's mission in the areas of teaching, research, and extension through its active participation in graduate and undergraduate education, its promotion of research productivity, and its outreach efforts to the Florida and international communities. Moreover, the center directly contributes to the University's and Chancellor's commitment to "internationalize" the campus and curriculum by promoting student/intern opportunities with an international perspective and by increasing the University's stature and visibility in the international conservation community.

Working with Santa Fe Community College Teaching Zoo

Fruit Bat Conservation Lubee has a strong commitment to providing professional husbandry training courses for zoo personnel from across North America, and also in providing student opportunities in the local Gainesville area. Each year the Center hosts student interns who earn academic credit as part of the Santa Fe Community College Teaching Zoo’s Zoo Technology program.

Research Partners Working at Lubee

The infrastructure of the Lubee facilitates multidisciplinary interactions with other departments at University of Florida, as well as institutions across Florida and North America, including partners as diverse as Centers for Disease Control, National Institutes of Health, Smithsonian Institution, American Museum of natural History, Boston University, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Consortium for Conservation Medicine and the U.S. Air Force. Collaborations between Lubee Bat Conservancy and both local and international conservation organizations such as Wildlife Conservation Society and Conservation International, are central to our global programs, as is our worldwide network of scientific partners in universities, NGOs, and government agencies.