2024 Annual Report - Flipbook - Page 40
Amanda Lollar
Working to Protect Texas Bats
Alarmingly, these bats are in severe
decline. Researchers documented a
popula}on in Eagle Creek Cave that
decreased from over 25 million in 1963
to just 30,000 six years later. Human
disturbance, especially during maternity season, is the most serious cause of
decline. Grossly exaggerated media
stories about rabies have also led to
the inten}onal destruc}on of large
colonies. Sadly, Texas, boas}ng the
most farms and ranches in the US, is
one of only 7 states that o昀昀ers no protec}on for bats during the maternity
season. Because of this, people oven
destroy en}re nursery colonies, like
the one pictured above, when bats
roost in buildings.
Texas is currently home to 32 of the
47 bat species known to exist in the
United States. Natural habitat for bats
is being destroyed, and many bats
have been killed out of fear and misunderstanding. Bats consume staggering numbers of insects nightly, primarily agricultural pests. The free-tailed
bats of Central Texas alone consume
close to 250 tons of insects on an average summer night.
Of course, humans should not share
their living space with wildlife, but
there are humane, safe and e昀昀ec}ve means to remove bats from buildings that do not involve killing. That is
where we need your help. Our proposed drav of a cri}cal new Bill to
o昀昀er be琀琀er protec}on for our Texas
bats can be found by scanning the QR
code above. Please help us by taking
ac}on via our pe}}on, or by lending
your Farm or Ranch name in support.
40
Amanda Lollar
Bats play a crucial role in the Texas
ecosystem, helping to control pests
and providing Texas farmers and
ranchers with over 1-billion dollars in
pest control annually. Unfortunately,
these vital animals are facing an
alarming threat. Current Texas law
allows people to indiscriminately kill
any bat found within, or roos}ng on, a
building occupied by people. This includes lost juvenile bats, mothers and
babies, and even en}re colonies
roos}ng in a building. As the law does
not dictate how bats can legally be
killed, known methods of dispatch
include being entombed, dying slowly
while stuck to glue traps, and su昀昀oca}ng to death from fumiga}on.
