Snap Judgment: "Batwoman - Snap Classic"

Podcast: Snap Judgment & PRX
Original Air Date: October 9, 2025
Host: E.M. Washington
Main Story Reporter: Shaina Shealy
Featured Guests: Mary Warwick, John Facil

Episode Overview

This dramatic, musical episode of Snap Judgment tells the riveting true story of Mary Warwick, a Houston wildlife rehabber whose Christmas is upended when a deadly cold snap sends over 1,600 bats plummeting from local bridges, and she finds herself turning her home into a massive ad-hoc bat rescue. The episode explores themes of compassion, unexpected heroism, and the deep connections between species, blending immersive sound design and heartfelt storytelling. It also features a personal bat encounter from Snap producer John Facil, highlighting the unexpected ways bats change lives.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Bat Emergency Unfolds (04:52–19:26)

Mary Warwick’s Journey into Bat Rescue

• Introduction to Mary: Mary Warwick, a long-standing wildlife rehabilitator, is thrust into bat rescue when no one else in Houston is caring for bats (05:54).
  • “Here's 10 bats. And I have no idea what to do.” – Mary recounting her first bat drop-off ([05:54])
• Early Rescues & Surprising Affection for Bats:
  • Mary initially has no experience with bats but draws on her broad wildlife rehab expertise.
  • Notable moment: “How stinking cute they are.” – Mary Warwick ([07:31])
  • Mary is described as "cursed" with compassion, unable to walk away from an animal in need ([12:13]).

Bat Crisis Begins

• Christmas Vacation Interrupted:

  • Mary’s much-anticipated holiday is derailed as a record freeze hits Houston, causing bats to fall en masse from bridges due to hypothermic shock.
    • “Christmas just went right out of my head and like, I gotta go get a bag…” ([10:15])
  • She collects her first 38 "frozen" bats from the Wah Street Bridge, describing their features and her immediate, automatic response to help ([10:38–11:09]).
    • “They're as hard as a rock. Like, their wings don't droop or anything.” – Mary Warwick ([10:51])

• Rapid Escalation:

  • The rescue quickly snowballs—more bats fall as temperature drops. Mary works through the night triaging, hydrating, and feeding dozens, then hundreds, then over a thousand bats ([17:06–23:39]).
    • “That's when I got 99 bats. I didn't expect 99.” – Mary Warwick ([18:22])
    • By the second night, 130+ bats are in her guest room; then, a bridge in Pearland yields 900 in a single day ([21:55], [23:31]).

Bat Chaos at Home

• Improvising Bat Care:

  • Mary transforms her home—plastic on floors, incubators from closets, humidity and warmth everywhere.
  • "The whole thing just felt so surreal and strange—chasing these bats that looked like they were on death’s doorstep two minutes ago around the house, flying around." ([24:09])

• Family and Community Pitch In:

  • Mary’s family mobilizes, and soon the whole city is watching her rescue stories on social media.
  • The house is overtaken by bats, and the Christmas plans are sidelined by waves of new arrivals. Sympathy and assistance arrive in the form of calls, supplies, and volunteers ([26:24]).

2. Compassion, Limits, and Connection (19:26–32:17)

Wrestling With Responsibility

• Mary’s Emotional Strain:

  • Facing exhaustion and self-doubt, Mary reflects on the limits of her ability to help.
    • “There's only so much I can do as one person... Once you've taken all these animals in, they're your responsibility.” ([19:07])
  • Worry about the ongoing freeze and risk to the bats is palpable.
    • “My main fear... was I was afraid that the freeze was going to go on a very long time. You know, we could lose them all...” ([29:12])

• Moments of Humor and Humanity:

  • Family jokes about the “distinctive bat smell” invading holiday gatherings ([27:36]).
  • Mary mulls, “who's gonna love coming over here for Christmas Eve, 'cause it smells like bat” ([28:02]).
  • She gives up on Christmas prep: “Can you just take all those bins and put them back in the attic? Because it's not getting done.” ([25:33])

Bats as Social Creatures

• Shared Connection and Empathy Across Species:
  • Mary is moved by how the bats seem to recognize one another, greeting new arrivals from their own colonies ([28:48–30:01]):
    • “As soon as they would hear the bats that I was bringing in start to chatter or anything, the bat from that colony... would start getting super excited and chattery. It was like they knew those bats, like, 'Hey, that's Bob.'”
    • “I guess it crosses species lines, doesn't it? ... Nobody wants to be alone. You know, our connection here downstairs as humans and their connection up. I just... I think that gives life a large meaning. We all need connection.” – Mary Warwick ([31:46])

3. The Grand Bat Release (32:17–35:37)

Organizing and Celebrating Survival

• A City Joins In:

  • As the weather breaks, Mary organizes a massive public release, inviting people who have followed her journey to witness the event ([32:54–34:16]).
  • The scene is joyous and emotional, with Mary personally encouraging each bat as it flies to freedom:
    • “Ooh, I'll give you a five. You know, you struggled a little bit, but you pulled it off or whatever. Or you’re a 10. You just took off right away and you look strong.” – Mary Warwick ([34:42])
  • For those that struggled, she quietly took them home to try again later.

• Closure, Hope, and Reflection:

  • Watching bats take flight, Mary feels deep satisfaction and gratitude. The community support and shared experience solidify a sense of meaning and purpose.

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On Life Purpose and Rescue:
  “I love what I do. I would never leave an animal out there. But there are times it’s like, you know, I just want a day to relax.” – Mary Warwick ([08:21])

• On the Relentlessness of Compassion:
  “Do you ever feel that you’re cursed with being extremely compelled to save animals?”
  — “Yes. Like, why does this have to happen right now? Like, I always feel like you have to try. I just can’t not do it.” – Mary Warwick ([12:07])

• On Unconventional Christmases:
  “Nobody in our family other than us are really animal people... I wanted to have everybody here regardless of whatever else was going on.” – Mary Warwick ([25:42–25:52])

• On Community and Connection:
  “I guess it crosses species lines, doesn’t it?... Nobody wants to be alone.” – Mary Warwick ([31:46])

Segment Timestamps

| Time | Segment/Story | |----------|--------------| | 04:51 | Host introduces Mary Warwick’s bat story; setup at Houston Humane Society. | | 05:54 | Mary’s first unexpected bat rescue. | | 07:01 | Falling in love with rehabilitating bats. | | 10:05 | The Christmas cold snap: first bridge rescue. | | 13:09 | Drive home with the first batch of bats. | | 17:06 | Second late-night bridge run; 99 more bats rescued. | | 21:48 | Expanding the rescue—300+ bats per bin, new bridge discovered. | | 23:31 | The home bat crisis: 1,600+ bats and no plan. | | 26:24 | Community mobilization—bats pour in, house transforms. | | 32:54 | Weather breaks, city gathers for massive bat release. | | 34:20 | Emotional release of bats, watching them fly to freedom. | | 35:37 | Credits and transition to John Facil’s story. |

Producer’s Story: John Facil’s Life-Changing Bat Encounter (36:54–44:02)

• John’s “Origin Story” in Journalism:
  • As a frustrated post-grad canvasser, John stumbles upon a bat on the streets of Chicago ([37:15]).
  • The serendipitous encounter inspires him to quit a soul-sapping job, which immediately leads to his first break in journalism.
  • Humorous and relatable: presenting the bat to his supervisor and using it as a quitting “prop” ([39:42]).
  • Touching reflection:
    • “In that moment, it's like all the wonder in the world just filled my heart. And I forgot all my problems. And I'm like, you know, there's magic out there and I'm missing it every second I spend doing something that I hate.” – John Facil ([38:14])
    • “God bless the bat.” ([43:51])

Overarching Themes

• Unexpected heroism and responsibility — How one person, in the face of overwhelming odds, can galvanize a community and redefine what’s possible.
• The struggle and joy of compassion — Mary’s inability to walk past suffering reveals both the burden and the beauty of deep empathy.
• Interconnectedness — Whether bat or human, none of us want to be alone; connection is essential for survival and meaning.
• Everyday magic — As John’s tale shows, profound change can appear in the most mundane moments, if we are open to wonder.

Summary Takeaway

"Batwoman" is a testament to the outsized impact ordinary individuals can have when moved by compassion and a sense of responsibility. Through Mary Warwick’s relentless, chaotic, and ultimately triumphant rescue, and John Facil’s career-changing encounter, the episode challenges us to care more deeply—not just for animals, but for one another—while finding the humor, humanity, and joy even in chaos. This is storytelling with a beat, a heart, and a call to action: stay open to magic, and always help a creature in need.