Bat gets stuck in fishing line and dangles over lake, officials say. Outrage follows
A bat dangled from a tree, but not by its feet. It was hooked to a loose fishing line caught on a limb, hanging upside down over a lake inside a Colorado national park.
Rocky Mountain National Park rangers tried to help the bat as it dangled over Dream Lake — where abandoned fishing line and hooks can be deadly to bats, birds and other wildlife.
Park officials shared photos on Facebook showing the bat hanging from a branch over the lake and lying on a rock with the barbed hook still attached to the bottom of its wing.
The bat was still alive when rangers arrived, but it later died from being caught on the fishing lure’s barbed hook — which is prohibited in the catch-and-release waters inside the park, officials said in the July 18 Facebook post.
Only barbless hooks are allowed in waters like Dream Lake, officials said.
“What is wrong with people! Rhetorical question,” someone commented under the photo.
Someone questioned how the commenter would get a lure out of a tree — and another outraged person weighed in.
“Well, a good first step would be to not use prohibited lures in the park,” they wrote. “Second, if you couldn’t get it down, contact a non-emergency line to the park and ask them what to do.”
Officials warned park visitors to make sure they abide by “leave no trace” principles to protect bats and other wildlife.
“We can all do our part and leave no trace of our activities when recreating in the park,” officials said. “Does it take extra effort sometimes, sure. Is it worth it? Yes!”
Park visitors should take the extra few minutes to remove signs of human activity while out on the trails or taking in the sight of an alpine lake, officials said.
“If you see things like fishing line, hooks, or trash left behind (even if you didn’t leave it) — please pay it forward and pack it out,” officials said. “And for those who already do this — you’re the best!”
Bats are “incredible” members of healthy ecosystems, officials said.
“They prey on insects, like mosquitos and crop pests. For example, Llittle brown bats have been known to catch and eat over 150 mosquitos in 15 minutes,” officials said.
They also pollinate plants and disperse seeds, officials said. There are nine known species of bats in the park, and they’ve been found in elevations ranging from 7,600 feet to 11,350 feet.
People shared their outrage in the comments.
“I can understand how someone couldn’t get their line back down from great heights (which is one reason not to cast near trees),” they said. “But using a barbed hook in RMNP — especially at Dream Lake — is inexcusable.”
Most commenters agreed with them.
“This stinks,” someone said. “I would say this is careless behavior, but it’s worse than that, as they were using illegal lures. Wrong on so many levels.”
Someone else shared that while they love to fish, anglers need to be responsible for their lost hooks and lures — barbed or not.
“Never take or leave anything when coming or leaving the forest,” they said.
This story was originally published July 18, 2023 at 7:34 PM with the headline "Bat gets stuck in fishing line and dangles over lake, officials say. Outrage follows."
