Bats on a Bridge
OCTOBER 7, 2006 Listen to this Story
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According to the movies, bats are, at best, large, blind rubbery beasts that get caught in people's hair. At worst, they bite your neck and sentence you to a dark eternity of feasting on human blood. So it was no surprise that when bats first arrived in Austin, Texas 26 years ago, the city wanted to exterminate them. The conservation group Bat Conservation International actually moved their headquarters to Austin to educate the public on the benefits of these bats. They eat tens of thousands of pounds of insect pests every night and bring millions of tourist dollars to Austin. Now the city is designing bridges so they can accommodate bats. Weekend America's Michael May introduces us to the bats, and a local woman who has dedicated her life to taking care of them.
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