[Etsy and eBay are selling dead bats, scientists are upset] In just one month, these online stores have sold more than 500 bat specimen decorations, including an endangered bat species. The specimens of bats sold online resemble the painted hairy bat in the Smithsonian Natural History Museum (Figure 1), framed to be used as wall ornaments or wearable hairpins, hats and garters. Biologist Susan Tsing, a member of the IUCN Bat Trade Working Group, said it was unclear who was killing bats, who was responsible for specimen stripping, and who was responsible for international shipments from Asian countries of origin. But painted hairy bats sold online are certainly not commercially bred, which dramatically increases the risk of disease across species, including humans.
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PS: From May 11 to May 25, 2020, when the new crown epidemic was the worst in the world, a total of 237 bat specimens were listed on eBay, with buyers in Australia, Canada, Italy, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.
