We received several calls today from homeowners, apartment managers and schools, saying that anywhere from 30-200 bats swarmed onto their buildings this morning, and are now roosting in clusters. This certainly can be startling—especially to people who know little about bats except that they fly at night and roost in Congress Avenue Bridge.
We want to reassure the public that this occurrence, while somewhat dramatic (and yes, scary to some), is not a threat to people living or working in these buildings. We think this may be the first wave of free-tailed bats making their way through Central Texas from their northern range; that hypothesis supported by an upsurge in bat numbers on Doppler radar. These bats will likely move on, either tonight or within a day or two.
Bats do not present a danger if you don’t try to handle them and simply leave them alone. However, if a bat is on the ground or in reach of children, it may be appropriate to safely contain the bat by following the instructions at https://austinbatrefuge.org/found-a-bat/. The bat can then be brought to Austin Bat Refuge IF there has been no bite contact between the bat and a person or a pet.
Please Remember: The vast majority of bats do not have rabies, and they are not carriers of rabies. Most bats are gentle, non-aggressive creatures, but may bite if threatened. So just don’t handle bats!