When millions of bats spiral up from Bracken Bat Cave on summer evenings, they create one of the most dramatic and memorable sights in nature. And you can be among the few to witness it.
The cave, barely 20 miles north of downtown San Antonio, is the summer home of some 20 million Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) - the largest community of mammals in the world. The bats arrive from hibernation sites in Mexico in late spring and migrate south again in the fall. Bracken is a nursery where females give birth and rear their young.
Countless flapping wings create a constant buzz as the bats emerge from the cave's mouth in a seemingly endless spiral, then spread over the countryside in dense columns that consume 200 tons of insects nightly. The spectacle beggars description as the sky literally fills with bats.
Bat Conservation International has been protecting this magnificent bat colony since 1991, when, with a grant from the Ewing-Halsall Foundation, it bought the cave and several surrounding acres. BCI now owns 700 acres of the rugged Hill Country landscape, ensuring the cave and its bats will be protected in perpetuity. The ultimate goal is to build a world-class education center for visitors.
For now, however, access to Bracken Bat Cave is limited almost entirely to BCI members during scheduled Members-Only Nights. We are now accepting reservations for this summer's visits. Don't miss this exclusive opportunity.
Member nights this year are on the Saturdays of June 28, July 12, August 2, August 15, August 30, September 6, and September 13. July 26 is reserved for members making their first trip to Bracken. Each night is limited to 50 visitors.
Send us your name, member number, address, phone number and email address (if you have one), the number in your party, and your first and second choice of dates. Email the information to bracken@batcon.org, fax it to (512) 327-9724 (Attention: Members Night Coordinator), or call BCI at (512) 327-9721.
