Nebraska Wildlife Rehab Releases 400 Bats as Temperatures Warm, Insects Increase

On Monday night, Nebraska Wildlife Rehab intends to release over 400 bats at Joslyn Castle as the weather begins to warm up and the number of insects rises. Since the start of the pandemic, this is the first live event.

Nebraska Wildlife Rehab

The public is invited to the rehab's spring bat release for the fourteenth consecutive year, and this will be the first time it will take place at Joslyn Castle, according to executive director Laura Stastny. The group is overjoyed to be working with Joslyn Castle on the public event.

The Joslyn Art Museum, where the first ten years' worth of releases were produced, is currently closed for repairs.

Wildlife rehabilitators are also going to have bats on hand so that people may have a close look at them before the release. Starting at 6 PM, Nebraska Wildlife Rehab has set up informational tables and fun family activities using bats.

At 7:45 PM, there will be a brief talk on bats, and at around 7:55 PM, the release will occur for at least 30 minutes.

Perfect Release Timing

These are all bats that were brought to the rehab center throughout the winter when they couldn't be released, according to Stastny.

The scarcity of insects and the chilly weather prevent their discharge throughout the winter.

To enjoy on the lawn before the release, members of the public are encouraged to bring their picnic dinners. Additionally, there will be a food market.

Although Nebraska Wildlife Rehab welcomes lawn chairs and blankets, it asks that no tents or posts be brought and that no animals be brought to the event. The bat-releasing event is free of charge and open to the public.

Up to the end of the bat release, portable restrooms will be accessible.

Stastny stated that NWR believes this event, in which members of the public are invited to see a significant number of bats being released back into the wild, is the only one of its sort in the US. Their team is honored to represent these special and helpful animals as ambassadors and to offer this special opportunity to the community, Lincoln Journal Star reports.

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Bats

The National Park Service states that more than 45 distinct species of bats inhabit national parks and that various types offer various advantages. Many acts as prey for other creatures, while some pollinate plants, others devour insects, and all serve as sources of inspiration for scientific research.

According to USGS, there are fewer bug pests destroying crops when bats are present because they eat insects, which saves farmers money on pesticides. Bats that eat insects are known as "insectivorous." They gorge on insects every night, contributing to pest control with more than $3.7 billion worth of savings each year in the US, according to USGS.

Other creatures in the ecosystem rely on bats for food, much as certain bats depend on thousands of insects each night to survive. Bats are eaten by hawks, falcons, and owls, and they are occasionally attacked when they are roosting by animals including weasels, ringtail cats, and raccoons.