About Us

Our mission: inspiring bat conservation worldwide

Merlin Tuttle’s Bat Conservation (MTBC) is Dr. Tuttle’s most recent contribution to the world of bats. With over 60 years of experience studying and photographing them, he has led conservation efforts internationally for decades. It was through the global impact of his unique photography and communication that people first began to appreciate bats as safe, invaluable, even cute, and likable. He founded and led Bat Conservation International for 30 years, then retired. But requests for his unique photos and experience followed him, leading to the founding of MTBC. His efforts are now supported solely through MTBC. Our goal is to extend Merlin’s invaluable legacy for use by future conservationists wherever most needed. No one has better demonstrated the power of combining captivating photos with sound science to win friends instead of battles. Nor has anyone better demonstrated how conservation, even of traditionally feared animals, can benefit humans.