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FREDERICKSBURG, TEXAS, USA -- Bats? Yes, literally millions of fascinating flying rodents call this tiny Texas town home. The bat-phobic have no need to worry, however. You won't find the rodents anywhere near the rest of Fredericksburg's more mainstream attractions.
An easy 15 minute drive out of town, visitors will find the Old Tunnel Wildlife Management Area. Covering 10.3 acres, including a wonderful nature trail, what really draws people here are the bats. Over the years, the "Old Tunnel" -- an abandoned railroad tunnel -- has become the homestead for over two million (no exaggeration, TWO MILLION) furry, pointy eared creatures.
I can't stress the number TWO MILLION strongly enough. How often do you see TWO MILLION of anything in one place at one time? Think about it. Now that you've had a moment to ponder, let me say it again, TWO MILLION BATS.
Take it from someone who has actually experienced the bats of Fredericksburg, no words can prepare you for the sheer magnitude of the site. In my lifetime of extensive travel, I have never seen anything that even remotely comes close.
To see the bats yourself, you'll want to get to the Old Tunnel about an hour before sunset (or call 830- 644-2252 for a more accurate estimated time of bat departure). In any event, get there well before the bats emerge from their home to go out for an evening of feeding. Creatures of habit, they leave the tunnel, en masse, although they will return separately throughout the night.
Just before the "magic moment" arrives, visitors on the upper deck, or those holding Texas Conservation Passports (again contact the number above) will notice one or two bats circling the mouth of the tunnel. Less than a minute later, the sky turns black as a funnel cloud circles the area, gaining momentum, before going off into the twilight sky toward more abundant hunting grounds.
The scene is reminiscent of the Wizard of Oz, when all of the Wicked Witch's flying monkeys are off searching for Dorothy. Some of the folks in our group felt a bit squeamish before the emergence. After all we're talking about bats, creatures which have evoked fear in the hearts of humans for centuries. The timid remained on the upper deck, or hugged the stairs of the lower deck, ready to make a quick exit to the safety of their cars if any of the creatures "came too close. Once the spectacle began, however, fear melted into excitement and those folks were glued to the spot, just like the rest of us -- jaws agape in awe of one of nature's most spectacular shows.
The park ranger explained that fears are unfounded. The myth of bats flying into a person's hair is just that, a myth. The bats possess a radar system that is so finely attuned, they can pick up matter as fine as a single strand of human hair, so there is no way they would "accidentally" fly into an entire head of the stuff.
That same radar system is what keeps the TWO MILLION bats from ever colliding with each other. The ranger shared a wealth of other fascinating lore about the Mexican Freetail bats that call the tunnel home. For instance, out of the two million bats that live in the tunnel, a mother bat can pick out and find her own baby. I know some humans who would have a hard time with that one.
He also explained that the bats voracious appetites keep the surrounding areas relatively insect free. Not hard to imagine when you learn that each night, every bat eats 2 1/2 to 3 times its own body weight!
About the only unpleasant part of the Old Tunnel bat experience is the fact that two million bats produce a whole lot of guano. The scent, while aromatic, is not pleasant. But the guano provides great fertilizer as well as support to more than 300 species of life forms( If you really want to know the gory details about species that reside in guano, ask the ranger -- it's not for the sqeamish.) But compared to the outstanding visuals, a little olfactory unpleasantness isn't too terrible a trade-off.
It takes over an hour for all the tunnel's inhabitants to exit. For that hour, the sky is alive with the furious flapping of wings. Those sixty minutes give the visitor time to ponder the magnificence and complexity of nature. Sites and experiences such as the bats of Fredericksburg really make one realize in a very profound way that there is more to life than meets the eye, that there has to be a greater power, so to speak. For here is one of the most awe inspiring sites to be held in the entire world, and no one made it so, it took no human technology or innovation to produce. It simply is, as it has always been and, the power willing, always will be.
ADDENDUM -- The Bats Return
I recently received the following email about Fredericksburg from reader Steven Gallenberger, who kindly gave permission to share it:
"Hello, My name is Steven Gallenberger my wife and I have visited Fredericksburg twice a year for the last 6 years. During our fall visits we always go out and see the bats leave the tunnel at night and visit with Mr. Parsons the ranger.
Last September we went out one evening and watched the bats leave and talked to Mr. Parsons and his wife until well after all the bats had left. We had watched the emergence from the lower viewing and Mr. Parsons told us what the return was like in the morning. Always looking for another Fredericksburg adventure we got our flashlights and left the inn at 5:00 AM, and headed to the tunnel's little amphitheatre.
Listening in the dark, we soon started hearing the sonar chirps of the returning bats and heard the rusting of their wings as they braked from their dive towards the mouth of the tunnel. As daylight started to appear, it revealed the bats returning to the tunnel, in groups of 10 to 50, diving at the tunnel entrance.
It was an experience we will never forget, extremely peaceful, yet eerie in a way. We had never experienced anything like it before. In many ways it was more fascinating than watching them leave, because the bats were circling mere inches from our heads, and we captured it on video! If you ever get the chance to return to the tunnel in the future, I would recommend you check out this awesome display!"
Getting ThereFor more information about the Old Tunnel Wildlife Area and the best times and ways to view the bats, call the LBJ State Park at 830-644-2252.
To get to the Old Tunnel Wildlife Area
Take Hwy. 290 east from the eastern edge of Fredericksburg, turn south on Old San Antonio Rd., go for twelve miles and you're there!
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