BATS RETURN 2: Wildlife that gives by taking ... .we'll 
explain on Passport to Texas.

This is Passport to Texas

Millions of Mexican Free-tailed bats are back in Texas 
where they will bear young and eat tons of pesky insects.

05 -- The Mexican free-tailed bat in particular is really valuable for 
agricultural purposes.

Meg Goodman is a bat biologist. 

13 -- Current research has shown that these bats can save farmers 
up to two sprays of pesticides per year because of all the insect 
pests that they're eating. They're eating things like the corn 
earworm moth and the cotton boll worm moth, among other crop 
pest species.

In addition to eating their weight in crop pests and other 
annoying insects, their nightly flights from inside caves 
and under bridges attract tourists.

14 -- Just their numbers and nightly emergences bring in a lot of 
tourist dollars to a lot of small communities and big communities 
like Austin. It's one of our top tourist destinations right here in 
Austin. But they do provide a lot of dollars through nature 
tourism through a lot of our smaller communities throughout the 
state.

The Ann Richards Congress AV Bridge in Austin is home to 
more than 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats. 

Beginning in late spring, people line the bridge to witness 
adult bats emerge about sunset and head to the 
agricultural land east of Austin where they begin their 
nightly feeding. 

Our show receives support from the Wildlife and Sport Fish 
Restoration program ... which funds conservation projects 
throughout Texas.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife ... I'm Cecilia Nasti. 


Total sound bite time:			0:32.0
Maximum Script time:			0:53.0	 Suggested show time: 86.0 = 
1:25