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Florida man arrested after 50 caged bats die in his yard

PostPosted: Aug 12, 2006 10:50 am
by Wayne Harrison
John A. Karbowski could have just sprayed around some Raid to chase away mosquitoes, but he had a better idea.

Investigators from the state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission say the Marion County man planned to establish a bat colony at his house in Belleview to eat any mosquitoes that tried to get near him. He told them he caught about 50 Southeastern myotis bats in a cave and put them in a cage in his yard - where they died because the bats lacked water and shelter from the sun.

Investigators charged Karbowski, 23, with cruelty to animals and taking wildlife without a permit. They took him to a mosquito-free environment called the Marion County Jail.

-- Tampa Bay Times, Aug. 12

PostPosted: Aug 12, 2006 5:50 pm
by wendy
Man Arrested After 50 Dead, Dehydrated Bats Found At Home
Investigators: Man Wanted To Create Colony To Control Mosquitoes

August 10, 2006

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.

http://www.local6.com/spotlight/9658837/detail.html photos on website