Note to Editors and Reporters: Recent media reports concerning bats in Griffin Georgia contained misleading references to the Endangered Species Act. Bats found in an apartment were neither fruit bats or protected by the Endangered Species Act. Please consider the following text for a letter to the editor or a follow-up story concerning benefits or proper removal of bats. You will also find contact persons and web links for Federal, state and non-profit offices that may provide useful reference material for future stories. --Mike Hobbs
A recent story in Georgia media featured misleading information concerning the Endangered Species Act. News stories suggested bats found within an apartment in the City of Griffin were protected by the Endangered Species Act and could not be disturbed. A repeated assumption was that no avenue was available to ease health concerns of the apartment
