Oregon bats take home the BLM Bat Beauty Contest crown for third straight year

By Garrett Christensen on Friday, November 1st, 2024 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News

OREGON – (Release from the Bureau of Land Management) Hoary Potter, the hoary bat from Oregon, has won his final duel!

On Halloween—the last day of International Bat Week—he defeated Lestat, the western small-footed bat from Idaho, in the final round of the 2024 Bat Beauty Contest.

This victory marks the third year in a row a bat from Oregon has taken first place in the Bureau of Land Management contest.

Emma Busk, BLM wildlife technician, says she hopes the event has inspired more love for these winged creatures of the night.

“I took the photo of Hoary Potter, but all bats are the real winners,” she told the Washington Post.

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— Author note: For context to bat beauty contest, see our original story here.