SAN ANTONIO – One by one, they emerge, and as the sun sets, they’re on a mission. The Bracken Cave Preserve north of San Antonio is home to an estimated 20 million Mexican Free-tailed bats that are vital to our ecosystem.
A KSAT crew visited the cave recently to get an up-close look at this Texas Hill Country phenomenon.
Wildlife biologist Jeremiah McKinney is conducting an acoustic survey at Natural Bridge Caverns to identify how many species call the San Antonio area home.
“We’ve documented, with the software indicating possibly 16 species at the ranch, which is a very wide array of species,” said McKinney.
Unlike the Mexican Free-tailed bats, many of these species are tree bats, and in the past 15 years, these experts say urbanization and drought are their biggest threats.
