The Natural History Museum of Jamaica (NHMJ), a division of the Institute of Jamaica (IOJ), in collaboration with Bat Conservation International (BCI) and the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), opens a new exhibition entitled “Guardians of the Night: Celebrating Jamaica’s Remarkable Bats.” The exhibition launches on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. in the Lecture Hall and Discovery Room of the Institute of Jamaica, Downtown Kingston, and will be open to the public starting Thursday, June 19, 2025.
This public exhibition explores the secret lives of Jamaica’s bats—some of the most ecologically important yet misunderstood creatures on the island. With 21 bat species, including five found nowhere else on Earth and eight others limited to the Caribbean, Jamaica holds the highest bat endemism in the region. These mammals play essential roles as pollinators, seed dispersers, and insect controllers.
