LITCHFIELD, Conn. -- Gerry Griswald believes there's nothing to be afraid of when it comes to bats.

Griswald held a micro bat -- a species found in Connecticut -- while explaining how bats have ties to humans.

"He thinks he's more of a bat than a person," she said.

Griswald, a bat specialist at the Environmental Education Center and Nature Museum in Litchfield, equates Bruce the bat to a Labrador retriever.

Contrary to what people believe, Griswald said bats are gentle creatures who typically are terrified of us. Bats are mammals that are related to humans -- not rodents -- and more importantly, bats are crucial to life on Earth.

"Let's face it. He's not the prettiest face. He's not going to win a beauty contest," Griswald said, holding a bat. "This animal is responsible for eating 1,000 mosquitoes in an hour."

She also pointed out how bats contribute to the human food chain.

You have bananas because of bats, mangos, cashews and dates -- they're pollinators. Plus, tequila fans, there would be no tequila without bats," Griswald said.

Griswald also said bats are not blind. Like the 1,000 other species of bats, you can only hear Bruce via sonar, which helps bats catch their prey.

"When a bat flies, you think it's swooping down after a human, but they're making the exact motion an insect is making. When sonar is on, that bug is toast," Griswald explained.

Griswald also introduced Eyewitness News to Sonic, a 3-year-old bat that got very excited when her breakfast was coming toward her.

Daniels reported bats hibernate in caves, some of which can hold millions of bats. Bats give birth to one baby, or pup, a year.

Griswald said humans are the bats' biggest enemies, saying five bat species are threatened in Connecticut because of habitat destruction.

"I've only been studying bats for the last 40 years. It makes their population susceptible to human tampering. We are afraid of what we don't understand," Griswald said.

Griswald, a trained professional, said no one should ever approach a bat on their own.

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