continued from page And ….

continued from page

And as for turning into vampires? Well, that’s just good ol' folklore at play. In reality, bats are shy, gentle creatures that would much rather keep their distance from humans.

When we first moved to Northwest Georgia, a farmer across the street told me that there’s a cave on a rocky hill not far from here. He told me that he had seen the bats flying out of the cave before. I've also read that they roost in hollowed trees, and sometimes, they invade a home’s attic, but luckily, we’ve never had that problem.

And like other animals, some bat populations are struggling to stay alive due to habitat loss, pesticides, water quality and a disease known as white-nose syndrome. All of these factors combined have led to a steep decline in their numbers, prompting their inclusion on the “species of concern” lists.

So next time you find yourself looking up at the evening sky, don’t be alarmed when you see those familiar winged silhouettes zigzagging through the air. Bats are not out to get you — they’re just doing their nightly rounds, keeping the mosquito population under control and reminding us that the world is filled with wonder, in the day, and in the night.