November 16, 2007
Daily Independent Article
By TIM PRESTON - The Independent
OLIVE HILL — Vicious acts of violence against more than 100 endangered bats at
Carter Caves State Resort Park have enraged state and federal wildlife
officials.
The victims were a group of federally protected Indiana bats, which officials
say vandals found hibernating in an undisclosed cave within the state park.
The vandals apparently used rocks to crush some of the small bats, while others
died after being knocked into a stream. The first bat kill is believed to have
happened between Oct. 21 and 24, and the second strike was reported Oct. 27.
Former park naturalist John Tierney said bat conservation efforts at the park
have been extremely successful in recent years, most notably at Saltpetre Cave
where the Indiana bat population went from “a handful” before the cave was
sealed during hibernation season to an estimated 9,000 to 10,000 animals at last
count.
Tierney said the recent killing is a sad occurrence, although not a new
phenomenon.
“People have fears. There are historic incidents,” he said, adding, “People have
seen too many vampire movies.”
Fish & Wildlife Resources spokesman Traci Hemberger said several youths were
arrested during the 1960s for killing an estimated 10,000 Indiana bats at Carter
Caves.
Jonathon Lewis of Olive Hill, who serves as president of the cave and wildlife
conservation group Esso Grotto, said he recently saw pictures of many of the
Indiana bats killed at Carter Caves during October.
“It was like seeing a little puppy — just defenseless,” Lewis said, explaining
many people misunderstand bats and their importance in nature. “I had a whole
mixture of emotions. The problem is past; you just have to figure out what you
can learn from it.
“It’s a lack of education and the Hollywood image,” he continued. “Enforcing the
law won’t do enough until we educate people about bats and what they do for us.”
Fellow Grotto member Allen Blair, who has followed the development of the Carter
Caves Indiana bats as a journalist and as a cave explorer, said he was perhaps
most shocked the bat killers took advantage of animals, “which were both
defenseless and sleeping.”
Blair said the bat deaths are a setback to professionals and dedicated
volunteers who have put many years of effort into the project to help Indiana
bats thrive in the area.
“This could be a success story like the bald eagle,” he said.
Lewis and Blair agreed Indiana bats are a sensitive species which require
specific conditions for hibernation and reproduction.
Indiana bats have been included on the federal endangered species list since
1966 and officials say their populations have been steadily declining until
recent years. The caves at Carter Caves State Resort Park are home to the
state’s largest hibernating population of the species.
Violations of the Endangered Species Act can result in a maximum penalty of a
$100,000 fine and a year in prison. Anyone with information about the bat deaths
at Carter Caves is asked to contact Special Agent Bob Snow of the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service at (502) 582-5989 Ext. 29.
For more information about local bat conservation efforts visit
www.essogrotto.com or
www.batcon.org on the Internet.