Reward Posted for KY Bat Slaughter

[Preston Forsythe]

Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources News Release

Reward offered for information leading to conviction in killing of rare bats

December 3, 2007
Contact: Traci Hemberger

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
1-800-852-0942, ext. 373


Frankfort, Ky. – A $4,700 reward is being offered for information
leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons
responsible for killing more than 100 federally endangered Indiana
bats at a state park in late October.

A number of wildlife conservation organizations, cavers, environmental
consultants and others have pooled their money to offer the reward.
Vandals smashed the bats with rocks and knocked several into a stream
to drown on two occasions while the animals were in a hibernating
cluster at Carter Caves State Resort Park near Olive Hill. .

Investigators believe the first incident occurred Oct. 21-24.
Officials discovered the second incident Oct. 27, and believe the bat
killings may have occurred the previous night.

Traci Hemberger, endangered species biologist for the Kentucky
Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, noted that a $500 reward
offered in a similar 1987 case led to the convictions of four men.
"We're hoping that this reward will lead to a breakthrough in the
Carter Caves case," she said.

Hemberger said a number of organizations, starting with Bat
Conservation International, began raising money for the reward after
word spread about the bat killings. "There's been an outpouring of
support from the bat and caving communities," she said. "It is
inspiring to see everyone banding together."

Jim Kennedy, cave resources specialist for Bat Conservation
International, said cases of bat killings such as the Carter Caves
incident are rare. "We definitely would like to resolve this problem,
and we also want to draw attention to the bigger need for bat
protection," he said.

Kennedy said there are fewer than half a million Indiana bats known to
exist in the world. Approximately 62,000 of the bats reside in
Kentucky.

Members of the Dayton (Ohio) Underground Grotto and Eastern States
Speleological Organization have also contributed toward the reward.
"We are a group of responsible cavers and conservation-minded
individuals, so when we hear about cases such as this, it makes us
very upset," said Andy Niekamp, a member of both groups. "We want to
do our part to help catch whoever did this."

Other contributors to the reward fund include the Southeastern Bat
Diversity Network, Defenders of Wildlife, Eco-Tech Consultants, Inc.,
Apogee Environmental Consultants, LLC, Copperhead Environmental
Consulting, Inc. and the Indiana State Center for North American Bat
Research and Conservation.

Indiana bats first received protection under the Endangered Species
Act in 1966. Until recently, their numbers have decreased steadily.
The caves at Carter Caves State Resort Park harbor the largest
hibernating population of Indiana bats in Kentucky.

"Everybody is disgusted with the killings," Hemberger said. "It's hard
to believe someone would do something like this."

Violations of the Endangered Species Act can result in a maximum
penalty of a $100,000 fine and a year in prison. Anyone with
information about the bat deaths should contact Special Agent Bob Snow
of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at (502) 582-5989, ext. 29.



The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources manages,
regulates, enforces and promotes responsible use of all fish and
wildlife species, their habitats, public wildlife areas and waterways
for the benefit of those resources and for public enjoyment. Kentucky
Fish and Wildlife, an agency of the Commerce Cabinet, has an economic
impact to the state of $4.8 billion annually. For more information on
the department, visit our web site at fw.ky.gov.

[NZcaver]

Welcome to the forum.

Actually, this reward has already been posted here, and the bat slaughter discussed here... but thanks anyway!