Written by PETA
I read Dracula when I was 8 or 9 (yes, I was one of those kids), which didn't exactly help get rid of my fear of the bats who lived in our attic and occasionally needed to be guided out a window. As it turns out, the bats created by horror writers and children's imaginations aren't nearly as interesting as real bats are:
To learn more about bats, help control insects, and provide a home for these fascinating animals, consider putting up a bat house. You can prevent bats from finding their way into your house by sealing up holes near the roof after any existing colony has left for winter hibernation.
Written by Heather Faraid Drennan
On Saturday, a bat found his or her way into the San Antonio Spurs game. (Some speculate that the animal didn't just fly in by accident.) The bat, of course, did what anybody would do in such a terrifying, unfamiliar situation—try to get the heck out of there—which, naturally, delayed the game. Until, that is, Spurs guard Manu Ginobili smacked the bat out of the air and slammed the animal into the hardwood court. Sports blogs across the 'net have been replaying the video of Manu in action as they celebrate his quick reflexes.
Here's our take on it:
To bludgeon a 4-ounce animal to death, it takes either a small man or a totally unthinking one—with no respect or consideration for lives humbler than his own. This is a time when athletes in particular need to be on their best behavior around any animal and show that they have brains and a heart, not just reactionary brawn.
Bats always try to avoid contact with humans, and there are plenty of easy ways to keep bats out of a basketball arena (or your home). We hope that the next time someone's life is on the line, Manu Ginobili will take just a few seconds to think before he acts.
Written by Amanda Schinke
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