Stowaway Bat Returns Home Friday, July 25

By Emily Howard

July 21, 2025

Image of a bat
Hubble the bat will be returned to his native habitat at a McDonald Observatory Star Party on July 25. Image credit: Amanda L. Stronza, Austin Bat Refuge.

On Friday, July 25, representatives from Austin Bat Refuge in Austin, Texas, will be onsite at McDonald Observatory in Fort Davis, Texas, to release a Big Freetail bat back into the wild. Named Hubble after the famous astronomer, he is thought to have accidentally hitched a ride from the Observatory to Austin in some astronomy gear. Big Freetail bats do not live in Central Texas but are a common sight in the Big Bend region, where the Observatory is located.

Hubble was found, with thumb claws worn down to the nub, in UT Austin’s Physics, Math, and Astronomy Building in November 2024. From there, he was taken to Austin Bat Refuge, where he was nursed back to health. Now that his thumb claws have regrown – and he has been cleared for travel by the Texas Department of State Health Services – representatives from the nonprofit will return him to his native habitat.

The bat release will take place during one of McDonald Observatory’s evening Star Parties, which feature constellation tours and telescope viewings. When it’s time for Hubble to return to the sky – anticipated around 10:30 p.m. – his handlers will choose a place with a clear pathway for flight that allows him to avoid any crowds. Bat experts will be available to answer any questions about Hubble and other Big Freetail bats.