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    10. KILLING OF/CRUELTY TO BATS

    Unlike most of the entries on this list, bats are not generally the victims of poaching for the commercial use of their meat or parts. Rather, they often suffer from basic human domesticity, urban sprawl and misunderstanding. In other words, bats are most frequently killed by regular folks who see them as pests or a nuisance, or who even accidentally kill the bats during home improvements/repairs/expansions. Federal and state laws in the U.S. often protect bats, regulating their safe removal from homes. In the U.K., bats are protected throughout the country. But continuing human encroachment combined with the still-spreading white-nose syndrome means the bat population continues to decline. (Bat Conservation Trust)