Of even more significance for human beings than this research into the bat's physiology, was the call made during the arguments over preservation of the rain forests during the Earth Summit by a British zoologist, who demanded: "The first step in protecting the rain forests is to have a plan to protect the bat."
蝙蝠對人類更重要的意義，卻不只是生理上的研究與利用。當世界各國在巴西地球高峰會議上，還為誰該保護熱帶雨林爭議不休，英國動物學者史考林則大聲疾呼：「熱帶雨林保育計畫的第一步是保育蝙蝠。」