Listed as a federally endangered species since 1976, gray bats (Myotis grisescens) have been rare in North Carolina for decades But thanks to improved conservation and protection efforts in recent years, the species’ total population finally appears to be stable — so much so that the gray bat may be removed from the endangered species list in the near future, according to a N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission news release.
During a routine annual bat survey in September, biologists from N.C.’s State Parks division and the Wildlife Resources Commission were surprised to find a gray bat, the first of its species ever caught in a state park. The bats were found in the high country in western North Carolina. Officials declined to give a more detailed location.