I’m thrilled to share that on October 25, 2025, the Tbilisi Zoo opened our new photographic exhibition, “Night Shift: Bats of Georgia.”
The project is the result of a year-long collaboration between National Geographic photographer Viktor Lyagushkin, me, and the Ilia State University bat research group — a team whose dedication and fieldwork made these images possible.

The opening brought exactly what we hoped for:
children peering at the prints with bright curiosity, asking thoughtful questions, and a room full of people discovering that bats are neither monsters nor omens — but essential, intelligent, astonishing creatures.

We were honored to have Ketevan Chumburidze, Editor-in-Chief of National Geographic Georgia, speak at the event and welcome visitors.

Georgia is home to more than 30 bat species — meaning one in every four mammals in the country is a bat. Yet misconceptions remain widespread. Many of us have seen bats in darkness but never truly looked at them. This exhibition invites the opposite: to see their elegance, their precision, their ecological importance, and their quiet presence in the Caucasus night.

Through Viktor’s photographs and the scientific work of the ISU team, our goal is simple:
to replace fear with understanding and to introduce the public to one of the most misunderstood groups of animals in Georgia.

The exhibition is supported by the National Geographic Society, the EUROBATS Project Initiative, and the Tbilisi Zoo.

📍 Location: Tbilisi Zoo, next to the Children’s Educational Center
The exhibition remains open to all visitors.