Bats of the Smokies: Big Brown Bat

Bats have gotten a bad reputation, being lumped into the spooky unknown of things that go bump in the night. In fact, the scariest thing about bats may be the devastating decline in population they have experienced due to a disease called White-nose Syndrome. Some species in the park have already declined by 80%. The Park Service is taking measures to slow the spread of the disease, which only affects bats, by closing caves and the areas around them. Bats serve as major predators of nighttime pests, helping out humans by eating pests that may destroy crops we eat. And just like us, bats love Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The combination of forests and streams here provide perfect foraging habitat for these flying mammals. Handling wild animals is not recommended, but you can meet a Big Brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) up close and personal in this short video, filmed with bat researcher Joy O’Keefe, who has years of training and experience in handling bats safely.