A Bat Named ‘Hoary Potter’ Has Won a Bat Beauty Contest

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Bat Week 202 4 wrapped up yesterday, and a hoary bat named Hoary Potter has won this year’s Bat Beauty Contest. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) holds the unusual competition annually during Bat Week, allowing the public to vote for their favorite, most beautiful bat.

“Congratulations Hoary Potter, for winning your final duel!” wrote the BLM in its Instagram post announcing this year’s winner. “It’s official: Hoary has won the 2024 Bat Beauty Contest and is crowned the country’s most beautiful bat.”

Hoary Potter is from Oregon, making it the third year in a row that a bat from Oregon has won this coveted title.

Bats are an important part of ecosystems. Some bats eat pests like mosquitos (they can eat up to 1,200 mosquitoes an hour, according to BLM!), and other bats help pollinate plants.

See Hoary Potter, the most beautiful bat in the United States, here:

Header image by Emma Busk / Bureau of Land Management