Bracken Cave Preserve

We are so excited be featured in the upcoming book "The Hidden Nations of Animals," exploring animal societies around the world. Author Ryan Huling dedicates an entire chapter to the bats of the Texas Hill Country, where he met with Bracken Cave Preserve Director Fran Hutchins and experienced a "batnado" up close.
Order yours wherever you get books today to receive on release day- Tuesday, June 2nd! 📖

Art credit: Oliver Uberti

You may have seen the Bracken bats emerge at night, but have you seen them return in the morning? Watching the bats come back to the cave after a night of hunting is an enitrely different experience than watching them exit!

Get your tickets here to watch the spectacle!

Morning Bat Flights at Bracken Cave Preserve 2026 Tickets | Bat Conservation International Bracken Cave is the summer home of more than 15 million Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis), making it the world's largest bat colony and one of the largest concentrations of mammals on earth. Each morning, they stream back into the cave after

Spring at the Preserve 🌿🦋🌸

Happy 100th birthday to Sir David Attenborough from 20 million bats! We send our echoes of gratitude for protecting the nature world.

Photo by Loveleigh Photos

Bracken's volunteers (and some members of the public) had a busy time Bioblitzing for the City Nature Challenge! Here is one of many good finds, photo by volunteer Caroline Broderick.

Bracken Cave season is upon us 🦇
Tickets are now available for evening bat emergence tours beginning May 17th. Link in comments to secure yours today!

📍 Bracken Cave Preserve - San Antonio, Texas
📸 Views of Nature Photography

Need some reading for Bat Appreciation Day? See this article here about the Houston radar capturing bats! https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/radar-bat-colonies-houston/285-bd3d9c58-434c-4ae0-87eb-81a8dcd0ac6e #

Houston radar captures bat colonies taking flight Wednesday night Chief Meteorologist David Paul said radar briefly captured thousands of bats emerging from colonies across the Houston area just after sunset. 🦇🦇🦇

🦇We're so excited to celebrate by unveiling our Bat Ambassador Training that is free, online, and open to all!
Swoop in to discover fun bat facts that will impress your friends. Link in comments. 👇

A Bat Ambassador is simply someone who loves bats and helps to foster a wider appreciation for them. Bat Ambassadors talk with friends, family, neighbors, and others, sharing information about how amazing bats are and the many ways we can support and protect them. As a Bat Ambassador, you’ll also be eligible to take additional courses to learn new Bat Skills like leading Bat Walks and planting Bat Gardens (coming soon!)

Photo: Jonathan Alonzo

With recent rains, spring has sprung at Bracken. Everything is beginning to wake up and come alive.