First, there were teenage wolf packs robbing people in and around Brooklyn's Prospect Park. Now, we learn that Prospect Park is full of bats. (And rats, too, but that's a different issue.) Color commentary comes from local blogger Dope on the Slope who went bat watching:
It was around 9:00 pm. About half way down the path, something flitted right over my head. I could feel the air move what little hairs are left on top of my head...If you've never seen a bat feeding, it's really quite enthralling. Based on the wingspan (8-10"), these were probably little brown bats, the most common species in the park. However, big brown bats are also fairly common in New York. The big brown has a wingspan of 12" or more.Yeah, yeah, we know. Harmless little creatures that have been there forever and are victims of a lack of understanding and an image problem.
· Bat Watching [Dope on the Slope]
· Urban Wildlife Update: South Brooklyn Raccoons [Curbed]
[Prospect Park bat photo courtesy of ranjit on flickr] Bonus: If you can still focus on your laptop in the park, wi-fi is definitely coming, for sure we think, to 18 locations in 10 city parks by the end of August. Today's NY Times has the map of the hotspots, including two in Prospect Park. Watch the bats fly around while pointing and clicking your way through Bela Lugosi photos. What more could you want?