PIGEON RIVER GORGE, N.C. – Construction crews in North Carolina are lending a helping hand to bats while constructing a key bridge on a major highway.
Members of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have observed roosting on the old bridge crossing the Pigeon River on Interstate 40, which has been suitable for the creatures in the past, but also dangerous.
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Roosting is when a bird or bat rests or sleeps.
When winter weather arrives, most bats hibernate in caves, but a few species migrate to warmer areas, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Freezing temperatures are proving deadly to many bats across Austin, Texas. Many have fallen to their deaths while the Austin Bat Rescue recovered the survivors. A vast majority of the rescued have not made it. FOX 7 Austin Tan Radford reports.
A first-of-its-kind idea created by resident engineer Kenny McCourt will place bat roosts inside the bridge’s retaining wall, providing these creatures with a natural habitat.
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McCourt explained how he came up with the idea while watching Animal Planet with his daughter.
Bats hang from the roof of a cave in Mikulov, Czech Republic, on March 9, 2015. Up to six hundred bats spend the winter here in the caves.
(RADEK MICA/AFP / Getty Images)
Engineers and wildlife experts collaborated to construct roosting spaces for various bat species. Each habitat is specially designed to suit the needs and tendencies of each species.
The height and width of the bridge were the perfect opportunity for wildlife officials to give these bats a safe opportunity to build a new home.
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“We tried to get together with others in the area that work with bats and think through what bats would use,” Wildlife Diversity Biologist Katherine Etchison said.
A plethora of bat species will not only have the opportunity to thrive, but also live safely with this unique new creation.
