Bat watching event teaches people not to be so scared of bats

Editor’s note: A previous version of this story stated that bats are blind, which is factually incorrect. It has since been updated to reflect that they can see. 

ALTA, Utah — Around 75 people looked to the skies on Friday night at the Alta Ski Resort’s Wildcat Base, where people participated in an event meant to teach them something new about Utah’s bat population.

The event was held by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources from 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Michael Packer with DWR said there was up to 300 people on a waitlist for the event.

“It’s pretty awesome to see that a lot of people here in Utah get pretty excited about the prospect of coming out and seeing a fairly elusive critter that we have here in Utah,” Packer said. “Bats are one of those [animals] where there’s a lot of excitement around them, but a lot of things that people may not know.”

Participants were able to learn facts about the population of bats in the area through a netting survey. Biologists put a net up near a stream to catch the bats. From there, people watched closely as biologists checked the bats.

The biologists looked at the bats age and weight. They also checked if the bats were lactating, if they were injured or seem to have any disease.

“Bats play a very important ecological role, something that maybe a lot of our Utahns may not think of when they think of a bat,” Packer said. “We’re trying to give [people] an up close and personal encounter to make them feel a little bit more comfortable. And, hopefully spread positive things about the bats that we have, as well as hopefully walk away with a little bit more knowledge about these species.”

What participants learned at the event

Lisa Young, a teacher at Corner Canyon High School said she learned that bats are not blind.

“They do have some vision! I teach those idioms, like ‘blind as a bat,’ but now I know that’s not true,” Young said. “I’ve got students coming back on Monday. So, when they ask what I did this summer I can tell them I came up here and did a little bat studying.”

Young said she’s also a gardener and animal lover, she found the event to be important because of those aspects.

“I’ve always been fascinated with bats, and I heard about this program,” Young said. “It’s important to know about these bats and how they help our gardens and how to dispel any myths.”

Young went on to talk about how the bats are important to all the aspects of Utah.

Carla FA was also at the event and said she also learned that the bats were not blind.

“I didn’t know that bats were so cute and adorable,” FA said.

Packer said the long-term goal of these events is to get people to make more conservation-minded decisions. He said some bats may take up residence around the area of a house and he wants people to understand they don’t have to be afraid of them.

Another bat watching event will be held on Aug. 23 at Mammoth Cave from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Related:

DWR to host Utah bat viewing events in August

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