Bats fly away, Big Room reopens

The Kartchner Caverns near Benson aren’t so batty anymore, so state parks personnel are getting ready to re-open the large Big Room chamber to visitors next month.

The Big Room is closed six months a year when female cave myotis bats turn it into a nursery. There are more than 1,000 of the mama bats that start arriving in the spring and they leave in the early fall when their babies are mature enough to be on their own.

The Big Room is closed to tours April 15 to Oct. 15 yearly.

Reservations for the tour can be made by calling 520-586-CAVE (2283) or on the internet at www.azstateparks.com.

If you book on the Internet or call the park for reserved cave tour tickets, the prices are for the Rotunda/Throne Room tour - adults $18.95, children $9.95 and the Big Room tour - adults $22.95, children $12.95.

For people who are just in the area and stop by for a walk-up ticket, there’s a $5 park entrance fee in addition to the tour ticket prices.

And there are only 100 walk-up tickets per day.

Some events scheduled at the state park in the next few weeks include:

Saturday, Oct. 6, 10 to 10:45 a.m., ranger Emily Bennett will give a look and lecture on the common desert snakes.

Sunday, Oct. 7, 11 a.m. to noon, ranger Rachel McKay will present “Javelina - Don’t Call Me a Pig!” about the desert creature and what do they eat and why do they smell so bad.

Saturday, Oct. 13, 9 to 10 a.m., ranger Mike Woods will talk about historic mining in nearby Coronado National Forest areas.

Sunday, Oct. 14, 11 a.m. to noon, ranger Grant Wiegert will show how to reduce, reuse refuse and recycle.

Saturday, Oct. 20, 1 to 1:45 p.m., ranger Susan Stucker will unveil the small world that lives inside our caves and tell about where the animals that live inside Kartchner Caverns come from, what do they eat and where does it does it come from.

Saturday, Oct. 27, 11 a.m. to noon., see the presentation “Don’t Tread On Me!” and hear ranger Karen Gonzales tells how to react if you’re suddenly sharing space with a rattlesnake and what to do if you or someone with you is bitten

On Sunday, Oct. 28 from 11 a.m. to noon ranger Peggy Quiatt will present “Bats: Friend or No?” In Chinese lore bats are considered symbols of good luck and happiness.

At noon daily, there’ll be the Eco-Science Trek tour that reveals how science was used to preserve the cave during trail development and in day-to-day operations. Several creative innovations in cave development are helping keep the eco-system pristine.

jlamb@gvnews.com | 547-9749