For many people, living or being around bats – those night-dwelling creatures that lean toward the creepy side – doesn’t seem so appealing.
But Tom Ramseth of North Aurora welcomes bats and other exotic creatures and says he actually “likes them all.”
“As far as bats or rodents or other things I like them all,” Ramseth said Sunday afternoon while attending a one-hour program called “Incredible Bats! and Other Misunderstood Creatures” at Messenger Public Library in North Aurora. “I don’t regard bats as dangerous, although they can be because they can carry rabies. But if you see something flopping around on the ground, a bat may be flopping around because it’s sick. I’ve always been interested in them since I was a kid.”
A press release from the library said the program was designed so people can “earn a new appreciation for bats, spiders, snakes, rats and other misunderstood animals by learning about their diets, habits, communication and more” as well as “dispel common myths that make these creatures seem so creepy and discover what makes them so unique.”
Michelle Kurczak, head of Adult and Teen Services at the library, said the event has been held every other year and that “this might be the third or fourth time we’ve held it.”
Beyond the Halloween time frame, Kurczak said she thought the program continues to be popular because it does demystify some things about animals which are sometimes viewed negatively.
“People will see these are not just nuisances but how they are important to our community or to the world,” she said.
The presentation was offered by the company Incredible Bats, led by Sharon and Dan Peterson of New Lenox, who began their business in 1996.
The couple said they do about 400 shows a year, with Sharon Peterson explaining just before the presentation in North Aurora that many legends about bats aren’t true.
“Bats aren’t blind. They’re not going to get in your hair and attack you and they’re not mice or rodents. They’re in their own family,” she said. “They’re not all vampire bats, although some are. We talk about vampire bats, but overall, bats are good for our environment. They are massive bugs eaters as well as pollinators and seed dispersers. They do a lot of good things around the world and we need them and they are essential to our survival too.”
Other animals in Sunday’s presentation included spiders, snakes, a fox and a rat.
“All of these animals are beneficial and all have purposes. Rats and mice and rodents are the food for a lot of animal species and are very important to the ‘prey’ relationship and the ecosystem and keeping things balanced,” she said. “But they also, in the meantime, are dispersing seeds which is one of their primary functions for us but also serving as food for lots of animals too.”
Ramseth watched as Peterson held a bat that immediately flapped its wings, and agreed the creatures are helpful.
“They eat mosquitos – are you kidding me? The more the merrier as long as they live where they need to,” he said.
Lili Stuber, 18, of North Aurora, also came to check out the presentation and said “I find creepy creatures like this interesting.”
“I’m not too afraid of them, but I love animals in general, so I came here to meet them and experience animals I don’t get to see every day,” she said. “I know bats have a bad rap, but they’re so helpful for the environment and they get such a bad rap for what they are. They eat mosquitoes and stuff. I don’t know too much about them, but they’re better for the environment and not worse for it.”
Cheryl Hanig of North Aurora said she wanted to come “to hear about these critters because I’m fascinated by them.”
“I used to be afraid of spiders, but now since I’ve been living in a basement apartment I’m over that,” she said. “If a bat flew in my house I’d try to trap it and get it to a safer place.”
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
