A bridge in Kentucky has become the perfect habitat for bats — and is the first of its kind in the state.
During a routine inspection in 2018, the Bridging Kentucky Project found that a state bridge had deteriorated due to weather, and gray bats lived in the structure’s large cracks.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the gray bat has been on the endangered species list since 1976. After discovering that the infrastructure was a good habitat for the bats, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) decided to design a new bat-friendly bridge.
“Bats were finding cracks and crevices that were safe from wind, from predators, and safe from rain and it created almost like a cave-like habitat. We wanted to recreate those exact gaps but do it from the very first day the bridge was built and not have to wait for 30 years of deterioration,” said Andrew Logsdon, a KYTC ecology and permitting branch manager, in a video detailing the project.
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
The KYTC partnered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to design a bridge that had a habitat for the bats within its structure, include 1.5-inch gaps for the species to use as roosting space.
“This bridge project is the first of its kind in Kentucky, using an innovative and collaborative approach to mitigate the effects of much-needed bridge repairs on an important endangered species,” KYTC Secretary Jim Gray said,WPSD6reports. “KYTC delivered a new bridge that is not only safe for motorists but is now providing habitat for an estimated 1,100 gray bats.”
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During the organization’s June 2021 survey, the team counted around 400 bats using the bridge as a habitat. Two months later, ecologists estimated that more than 1,100 bats are currently using the bridge.
In order to prevent interference with the habitat, KYTC is not releasing the exact location of the bridge.
source: people.com
