A bat protection and research center, first of its kind in Asia, has set its debut in the suburban Beijing on November 16, according to sources with Beijing Municipal Wildlife Protection Center. 

The new center was launched by the Animal Research Institute under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Fangshan District government, where it is located. The bat protection reserve covers an area of 1.61 square kilometers.

Bionic research conducted in the center is expected to shed some light on aircraft production and renovation, said CAS scientist Zhang Shuyi.

The center consists of two parts, namely, the exhibition hall and a huge living room for the bats. By the year 2005, bat samples and pictures as well as living bats will become features of the base. Visitors can watch the bat-catching-fish scenes through infrared telescope, according to Zhang.

China's bat population shrank drastically in the past 30 years, causing serious problems in environmental protection, said the CAS expert.

(Xinhua News Agency November 21, 2004)