A brief visit to Texas Hill Country to watch bats

Some cultures think bats are bad luck, others think they’re auspicious. I’m pretty sure bats don’t care either way and are just on a daily mission to survive like the rest of us.

During the summer, the 100 million Mexican free-tailed bats that reside in Central Texas consume hundreds of tons of insects every night. This ecosystem service has an estimated economic impact of $50 billion a year in North America as it helps protect crops from pests while also reducing the need for agricultural pesticides.

Pictured are Mexican free-tailed bats emerging from Bracken Cave in care of Bat Conservation International. They do good work for bats in this country and around the world, so please consider supporting them if you appreciate bats.

Mexican free-tailed bats emerging at Old Tunnel State Park