Visitors to Comfort are going batty and the seasonal emergence of more than 3 million Mexican free-tailed bats and a historic bat roost are the main attraction.
Now owned by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the Old Tunnel Wildlife Management Area, 13 miles north of Comfort, is home to the bats. The abandoned railroad tunnel was built in 1913, and it has been home to the bats since 1942. >From May to October, visitors come to watch the bats emerge from the tunnel each night, usually within an hour before or after sunset. Most bats exit through the south end of the tunnel, spiraling in a counter-clockwise direction to gain altitude over nearby trees. They travel southeast toward the Guadalupe River. Bats exiting from the north end of the tunnel either travel north toward the Pedernales River or south over the Old Tunnel’s observation deck. * Red-tailed hawks are sometimes seen feeding on the bats as they emerge. The bats return to the tunnel between midnight and daybreak, having traveled an average to 25 to 30 miles to forage. Comfort also is home to one of the state’s most unusual historical landmarks - a bat roost. Years ago, the roosts were built in an attempt to control malaria by encouraging the area’s large bat population to remain in the region and eat disease-spreading mosquitoes. Then San Antonio mayor Albert Steves built the hygieostatic (which means “standing for health”) bat roost in 1918 on family property in Comfort. It was built according to plans developed by Dr. Charles A.R. Campbell, physician and former health officer of San Antonio. Though it is located on private land about a mile and a half out of town on FM 473, visitors can see the roost from the road. The 30-foot high tower is on concrete piers and covered with shingles. Only 16 roosts are reported to have been built in the U.S. and Italy between 1907 and 1929. The Comfort bat roost is apparently the last survivor of seven roosts built in Texas and is the oldest of three known to exist in the entire country. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For visitors interested in bat viewing, Comfort also offers many great places for visitors to “roost,” from historic bed and breakfasts to Victorian-era mansions and country cabins. For more information on the bat attractions and lodging, visit www.comfortchamberofcommerce.com or call 830-995-3131. For bat emergence times, contact the Old Tunnel Wildlife Management Area, phone 1-866-978-2287. http://www.boernestar.com/articles/2009/06/02/news/comfort/doc4a2434587e7de308604598.txt --------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit our website: http://texascavers.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
