Deep in the heart of Bernheim Forest and Arboretum about 25 miles south of Louisville, birds’ songs carried in the wind as leaves rustled across the ground. Natural areas manager Evan Patrick pushed branches aside to clear a path in the secluded woodlands.
“I believe it was now three years ago, we were out in that section of the forest, and we were kind of scouting around looking for some potential camera trapping sites for golden eagles,” he said. “And we found this really pronounced sinkhole on top of this ridge line.”
Typically, these sinkholes are fit for mammals like raccoons, moles and — sometimes — bobcats or coyotes, so Patrick and his team installed a camera nearby.
In June 2024, they found something peculiar…