Busch Wildlife Sanctuary partnered with bat removal and awareness expert Friends of Bats to bring a night walk focusing on bat education and s’mores on March 16, 2018.
The event “All About Bats“ night walk, was a first of its kind at Busch Wildlife. Dan Bozone from Friends of Bats brought a bat echo locator device that helped identify bats in the trees and surrounding structures. “We had a great time bringing bat awareness to the residents of Jupiter, Florida. Many home owners don’t know how bats can get in through their roof tiles and how to spot bat droppings under or on their roof. Bats make great neighbors but terrible house guests so we wanted the opportunity to showcase how to remove bats from your home by first finding them!”
The idea behind the event was to bring awareness to how bats live, where they live and how to take care of bats if they are found on your property. A little known fact about bats is that they are protected under law in the state of Florida and residents can’t do bat extermination. This environmental protection is why Dan Bozone of FriendsofBats.com is so adamant on education and awareness. “Homeowners who find bats in their attic or property managers at a condo may think they can easily terminate bats, but what they need to know is how to evict them instead.”
There were people of all ages attending the event. Many of which got to see a live bat up close. After the presentation, the participants walked through the trails with a bat echo locator and sonar devices around dusk when bats are very active. The s’mores around a campfire was a nice touch as well.

Participants at the All About Bats Night Walk at Busch Wildlife learn about how to find bats in your attic, roof or neighborhood.

Campfires at Busch Wildlife Sanctuary is a great way to cap off a successful All About Bats Night Walk

Dan from Friends of Bats shares how the smell of urine from bats can cause issues for home owners in Florida.

7 yr old enjoys S’mores at Busch Wildlife just as much as the adults during the All About Bats Night Walk hosted by FriendsofBats.com

A live bat can fit in the palm of your hand and Jupiter Florida residents could see the bat up close.