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Bat Colony Discovered In Lackland Dorm

Lackland Air Force Base
Eileen Pace
/
TPR News
Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.

Bat experts have determined a bat colony has established itself inside the walls of a 45-year-old dorm building at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. 

More than 200 Lackland recruits are on a rabies vaccine regimen after several bats were discovered in their dorm a couple of weeks ago. But the building is huge, and although the dorms were secured and entrances sealed off, it took experts a longer time to find the bat colony that was discovered over the weekend.

Joint Base San Antonio spokesman Brent Boller said JBSA engineers worked aggressively to seal off the interior of the building, installing mesh covers over all interior vents and checking ceiling tiles and doors.

"And we have also established a nighttime manned watch of all the interior living quarters within this particular dormitory building to make sure that no bat makes it into the living quarters again without being detected," Boller said.

Boller said the next step involves sealing the exterior of the building in a way that allows the bats to leave in the spring, but won’t allow them back in.

Eileen Pace is a veteran radio and print journalist with a long history of investigative and feature reporting in San Antonio and Houston, earning more than 50 awards for investigative reporting, documentaries, long-form series, features, sports stories, outstanding anchoring and best use of sound.