We're So Bat: NYC's Nocturnal Creatures Are Making a Comeback

<table> <tr><td> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/nyc/comments/1sqw17x/were_so_bat_nycs_nocturnal_creatures_are_making_a/"> <img src="https://external-preview.redd.it/pxVMCWXC6Wl9eoJ96lVV3dIdifZsnyHm7OZnC5q6K-o.png?width=640&amp;crop=smart&amp;auto=webp&amp;s=d8b96d1b4c8f4b4b02921176645f989d85087251" alt="We're So Bat: NYC's Nocturnal Creatures Are Making a Comeback" title="We're So Bat: NYC's Nocturnal Creatures Are Making a Comeback" /> </a> </td><td> <!-- SC_OFF --><div class="md"><p><em>Hey everyone, I'm a reporter at Hell Gate. I recently joined Gotham Bat Conservancy on a "bat walk" in Prospect Park and learned all about the comeback story of the long-maligned NYC bat. You may or may not know (I didn't) that white nose syndrome has wiped out much of New York City's bat population since 2007. However, a passionate new community of bat lovers is helping them recover (including with some mythbusting). I'm dropping some of the story below, because I think they're cool, but if you want to read the whole thing you should just be able to click through the link and enter your email. Thanks!</em></p> <h1></h1> <p>One recent Saturday night, a group of strangers stood huddled together on the south side of Prospect Park Lake, whispering to each other and peering through overhanging tree limbs into the sky. It was not long after sundown—dark apart from the light of the moon and quiet except for some park goers grilling several bays east—when suddenly, a woman in a green beanie broke rank, stabbed her finger toward the stars, and yelled: "Right there!"</p> <p>Above, a tiny figure danced against the night sky for about 30 seconds, striking a staccato rhythm that appeared both erratic and elegant. "YES! The bats are out! Sick!" exclaimed Roxanne Quilty, a co-founder of the four-year-old nonprofit Gotham Bat Conservancy, which promotes bat conservation in New York City. Nearby, two chattering tablets listened to the bat signals above through powerful microphones; they pitched