Local libraries go batty

Loutit District Library and Spring Lake Public Library on Friday became home to four species of bats: a straw-colored fruit bat, an Egyptian fruit bat, a brown bat and a leaf-nosed bat.

Krystle Wagner

Jul 21, 2012

Michelle Maust, from the Organization for the Conservation of Bats, walked around the audience with the nocturnal creatures.

Three-year-old Avery Patterson and his 2-year-old brother, Sheldon, sat in the front row watching.

“We was not scared,” Avery said. “One was really small.”

Maust said the organization likes providing a learning environment to better explain how bats are important and there’s nothing to fear.

“There’s some fear (associated with bats),” Maust said.

Amy Mazor brought her 7-year-old son, Joey, to the event because her family sometimes sees bats, and she wanted her son to become more informed about the creatures of the night.

“I thought it would be a good thing for him to see,” she said.