Hannibal Parks and Recreation to hold ‘Momma Bats and Baby Bats’ night hike Friday

HANNIBAL, Mo. — “Momma Bats and Baby Bats” will be the theme for a night hike through Sodalis Nature Preserve at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 10.

The hike will be led by Gale Rublee, interpreter guide at Hannibal Parks and Recreation. Participants will meet at the new Sodalis shelter on Ely Street. The full program will last about two hours and covers a two-mile paved loop with a steep incline, but there are options for a shorter period.

According to Rublee, mother bats bear young from mid-May through mid-June. Most bats have one, sometimes two babies. “Just like human babies, bat babies have to be fed, protected, taken care of and loved on. How do mother bats do this? At least there’s no diapers to change,” said Rublee in a press release.

The program is free and open to the public. Register for space at www.hannibalparks.recdesk.com/Community/Program.