Park
Eckert James River Bat Cave Preserve
Poleca 12 lokalnych gospodarzy
Wskazówki od mieszkańców
Billy
September 14, 2022
Takes a little bit to get there, but well worth the trip. A $5 donation gets a seat to MILLIONS of bats swirling out of the cave to feed. This is a sight you will talk about forever!
Castell Land Company
March 17, 2021
Located 37 miles from El Castell on a dirt road and across a limestone bridge (water flowing on top, so be sure to have the right car) Located 37 miles from the cabins, this unique preserve is home to 4 million to 6 million Mexican free-tailed bats and one of the largest concentrations of warm-blooded animals in the world. The cave supports a maternity colony where females give birth to and raise their pups. Because this species roosts in such large numbers, colonies are vulnerable to disturbance and could be destroyed by a single destructive act. Additionally, the population recovery rate for a colony of Mexican free-tailed bats is slow because females give birth to only one pup each year. Richard Phillip Eckert and Virginia Eckert Garrett donated the cave to The Nature Conservancy in honor of their father, Lee Eckert, and grandfather, W. Phillip Eckert. The Eckert family acquired the property in 1907 when W. Phillip purchased the ranch on which the cave is located. In the early 1900s, W. Phillip mined the bat guano in the cave and sold it to local farmers for crop fertilizer. W. Phillip’s son, Lee Eckert, continued his father’s legacy of bat conservation and guano mining and left the site to his wife and children when he passed away in 1967. This generation of Eckerts wanted to ensure permanent protection of the bats, so in 1990, they donated the cave to The Nature Conservancy on condition that the land around the cave remain open to the public for enjoyment and education, as it had been for more than 100 years.
Located 37 miles from El Castell on a dirt road and across a limestone bridge (water flowing on top, so be sure to have the right car) Located 37 miles from the cabins, this unique preserve is home to 4 million to 6 million Mexican free-tailed bats and one of the largest concentrations of warm-blood…
Shelley
July 5, 2017
At dusk, the bats emerge...well worth the trip
Timothy
March 29, 2016
great experience 5.00 entry.
Dan & Jeanie
February 9, 2017
Of the many caves in the Mexican free-tails’ summer range, the Eckert James River Cave is one of the few that satisfies the exacting demands as a nursery. In April 1990, The Nature Conservancy of Texas (TNC) and Bat Conservation International (BCI) acquired the cave, partly as a gift from Richard Eckert and Virginia Eckert Garrett and partly by purchase. The common goals of TNC and BCI are to protect the bats and their habitat and to provide access for the public to visit and witness the dramatic nightly emergence in a manner consistent with protection and safety of the bats and the visitors. Thursday through Sunday evenings, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., throughout the season (mid-May to mid-Oct)
Of the many caves in the Mexican free-tails’ summer range, the Eckert James River Cave is one of the few that satisfies the exacting demands as a nursery. In April 1990, The Nature Conservancy of Texas (TNC) and Bat Conservation International (BCI) acquired the cave, partly as a gift from Richard Ec…
Lokalizacja
James River Road
Mason, TX