BOONE, N.C. — Andy Sicard, superintendent at Grandfather Mountain State Park, says the park has over 73 rare and endangered species, including the Virginia big-eared bat.
He says the bats are extremely sensitive to human disturbance, so they check on them biannually.
"We are gentle. We don't try to handle any of them if we don't have to. In handling them, it's very rare, so basically try to count how many there are so we sit real still," Sicard said.
He says for many years they only knew where the bats were in the winter, but now they know where they live in the summer as well.
Sicard said they keep the bats' location a secret to protect them but said all caves in North Carolina are off limits.
"It is a globally in-peril species, so it's a G4 category, which basically means if anyone is disturbing that habitat or trying to interfere with the bats themselves could be criminally charged," Sicard said.
He said the bats like it between 34 and 54 degrees, so even having humans go into the caves changes the temperature enough that they will leave.
They remind everyone not to go near the bats because the bat is so small, and they must be protected.
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