Organizers say the celebration is meant to honor bats as “superheroes” of the natural world. Not only do they help control pests like mosquitoes, but they also pollinate plants and disperse seeds.

A Houston tenant has lived with a severe bat infestation for over two years, posing health risks and causing home damage.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice is facing a unique challenge: finding a new home for a massive bat colony before they can demolish a vacant warehouse near its prison in Huntsville.

More than 200 bats which were rescued from frigid conditions under a Houston bridge were set to be released back to their colony Sunday.

“Going Batty” is a fun evening event geared toward adults, and the family-friendly “Bat Fest” is free and open to the public.

Following freezing temperatures experienced across Texas last week, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is receiving several reports of bat fatalities. Sharing an update on its Facebook page, the state agency warns Texans never to attempt to handle bats, dead or alive, as many colonies are being found frozen under overpasses throughout the state. According to the Houston Zoo’s bat specialist and naturalist Suzanne Jurek, Winter Storm Uri largely impacted bats as they had already used most of their fat reserves, leaving them vulnerable. Texas Parks and Wildlife is recording wildlife mortalities due to Winter Storm Uri. To help, the department says Texans can report their findings of dead bats to the iNaturalist project.

Wildlife experts with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Division is urging the public to help report bats infected with white-nose syndrome. In a news release, the TPWD continues to monitoring the progression of the disease, which has infected bats in 18 counties. AdAlthough bats can easily spread the disease with other bats, the risk to humans remains very low, wildlife experts said. To report a dead bat, email the Texas Parks and Wildlife Division at wns@tpwd.texas.gov, with a description, location, and a general paragraph. Experts urge people not to touch or handle live or dead bats.