Cavechat.org

A Central Florida man who was arrested after investigators found 50 dead and dehydrated bats caged at his home said he wanted to create a colony to control mosquitoes on his property, according to a Local 6 News report.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission investigators arrested John Karbowski at his Marion County, Fla., home at 4950 SE 111th Lane after receiving reports that he was keeping bats in a homemade cage.

When officers arrived, they found the dead and dehydrated bats.

Karbowski told investigators he caught the bats in caves in north Marion County because he wanted to establish a colony at his house for mosquito control, the report said.

An investigator said the bats died because they did not have water or proper shelter to shield them from the sun.

Karbowski was charged with cruelty to animals and taking wildlife from the wild without a permit.

Cruelty to animals is a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by a maximum penalty of one year in jail and $1,000 fine if convicted. Taking wildlife from the wild without a permit is a second-degree misdemeanor punishable by a maximum penalty of 60 days in jail and $500 fine.