Meet the Real Bat Man

— -- Jason Corbett has what many might consider the creepiest job in America.

He travels throughout the West, going deep underground into ancient, rickety, abandoned mineshafts in search of a creature commonly associated with horror…. Jason is searching for bats.

He travels hours off-road in the heart of California's Death Valley to crawl, slide and climb his way into old mine shafts marked with signs that say "Stay Out, Stay Alive."

When asked what his friends and family have to say about his profession, he said, "In terms of safety, most of my friends think I'm a little crazy and my mom certainly does worry about me."

The job of crawling into the mines is not one for the faint of heart.

Forget about the bats: the mine shafts are on average over 100 years old, and possibly on the verge of cave-in.

Old bones and ancient explosives are frighteningly routine in these caves, but the bats Jason searches for aren't so easy to find. He doesn't go into the mines to disturb the bats, but instead to save them.

Mines like the ones in Death Valley are being cemented shut by the hundreds to keep people out, which is entombing bats in the process.

Jason conducts reviews of bat habitats for the Park Service, which often leads to installation of bat gates instead of cement.

"The idea behind a bat gate is that it allows bats to pass in and out, and utilize habitats behind the gate, and prevents people from going into these hazardous mines," said Linda Manning, who is a wildlife biologist for Death Valley Park.

Jason thinks the bats aren't as scary as their reputation.

"They're small, fury, dainty… they are actually fairly cute, cuddly little animals and certainly they are nothing to be afraid of."

He also said that the bats are misunderstood. These creatures are a necessity in their habitat; one bat can eat up to 3,000 mosquitoes a night.

Bats avoid humans at all cost, including the one man here to look after them: Jason Corbett, the real "bat man."