Bat Murder

The U.S. has recently encountered mysterious instances of animals, mostly birds, dying together in huge numbers. No one knows what killed the birds. These incidents have occurred primarily in the southern States.

Here in Arizona we've seen the unfortunate wildlife deaths, too, but we know the cause - it's the work of assholes. For example, a little while back some piece of shit name Edwin Jess in Bullhead City, AZ murdered a great blue heron with a golf club. He just walked up to it and smashed it with the club for no reason. He was golfing and the bird had the audacity to sit near some water on the course, a mistake it paid for with its life. The bastard didn't really even get in trouble.

The newest chapter in Arizona's moron-assault on our animal population is particularly sad. Thousands of bats have made Tucson's man-made structures, like bridges, their homes. Most of these bats are Mexican free-tale bats. Each one of these little bats is about as big as your thumb and weighs 13 grams. They eat tons of insects and pests, like mosquitoes, ironically repaying us for dropping our concrete world down on their desert. Many Tucsonans love the bats. We've gone down to the bridges at dusk to watch thousands of bats pour out and other people are often there too, watching as they drop down, swarm under the bridge, and then shoot off into the night. It's pretty impressive.

However, last month some scumbag killed 80 bats with a BB gun. Just shot them while they were sleeping under the bridge. AZ Game and Fish were offering a $750 reward for information leading to the arrest of the killer. An anonymous donor has upped the stakes, adding an addition $1000 to the reward. Even if the killer isn't caught, this is terrific news. It's important for the community - local, state, and regional - to send the message that we will not tolerate reckless losers killing our wildlife. If law enforcement understands that we care about these crimes, and that leniency will anger and disrespect the community, perhaps we will see more prosecutions and fewer instances of wildlife destruction. If we can nurture this mentality and extend it to Mexican wolves and other controversial species, then we'll really see an improvement in conservation efforts; apathy kills as many animals as bullets.

If you have information about the bat murder, here's what you can do:
Per AZGFD -"Individuals with information should call 1-800-352-0700, anonymously if need be, and reference OGT# 11-000017. Calls will be taken 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Information may also be provided through www.azgfd.gov/thief."