::Found a Bat? What now? ::

 

 

Many people come across young, injured or grounded bats, and wonder what to do with them. Care and caution should be exercised and such cases should be referred to the nearest bat interest group or animal rehabilitation organisation.

It must be stressed that bats should not be handled by the general public!

Do not kill the bat - it may be last one of his species!

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU FIND A BAT INDOORS

A bat that is found indoors is most likely to be a crevice-dwelling species. These bats are often lost youngsters or babies that cannot fly or migrating bats that do not know how to find their way outdoors. They may be roosting somewhere in a small part of your home, most likely up high, like a crawl space, attic or perhaps between the crawl space roof.

Should you be lucky enough to have a bat stop by your house for a visit, be kind to this honoured guest.

 Follow these steps to help your guest find it's way outdoors:

  1. Close any doors you can to contain the bat in a single room or space.
  2. Open all the doors and windows as wide as you can in that room or area.
  3. Turn any outside lights on, e.g. the porch lights.
  4. Turn the lights in the room off or down.
  5. Stay in the room, sit down, relax, and watch the bat. If you don't, you will not know if it actually left or has landed and is resting somewhere.
  6. DO NOT TRY TO GUIDE THE BAT WITH A BROOM, TENNIS RACKET, ETC. You do not need to cover your head, it does NOT want to get in your hair.
  7. The bat, if allowed to, will navigate it's way out using the light outside and the draft created by the open window/door. This may take 20 minutes or so.

Grounded Bats

If it has landed somewhere, it may be captured and released outside after sunset. It might be found behind curtains/drapes, pictures or upholstered furniture, on hanging cloths, or on house plants, to name a few places. Approach your visitor very slowly and quietly. NEVER TOUCH THE BAT with your bare hands. Gently place a small can or box over the bat, slide cardboard underneath, and release your visitor out of doors at dusk, placing it on a high surface where it will be able to take off.

If the bat does not fly away, or attempts to fly but seems unable to, it is likely that it has an injury or illness. It may be a baby unable to fly, a disoriented juvenile, or it may be dehydrated or starved from being trapped indoors. If this is the case, keep the bat in a closed box or container (never a jar) and put it in a safe place that is free of children, pets, fire ants and other hazards. Injured bats may be taken to Free Me or contact us for advice. 

Returning Baby Bats to their Mothers

Baby bats found near a roost can simply be placed back in the roost otherwise, keep the bat warm until dusk when it should be placed outside on a high, flat area, e.g. the garage roof.  The babies emit a distress call that the mother will respond to if she is within hearing distance and will come and collect her baby.  Should the mother not return after about two hours, the baby would need to be taken to a rehabilitation centre where it can be hand raised.

Releasing HEALTHY Bats

Bats that are in good health should be released as soon as possible (during dusk) and as close to their area in which they were found as possible.  If a bat has simply fallen out of its roost after being disturbed, it can be placed straight back into the roost.  Bats can’t take off directly from the floor but need to be able to drop down for a distance before beginning to fly.  If a bat is found inside a house, pick it up and place it in a warm, dark box for the day.  At dusk, take the bat outside and place it on a high, flat surface, e.g. a garage roof.  Within an hour or two the bat should take off and rejoin the other members of its family.

Bats found during hibernation should not be not be woken as waking requires a huge amount of energy which may be more than the bat can afford to survive.

WHAT TO DO WITH AN INJURED OR BABY BAT.

  1. Wear gloves if possible before handling the bat to protect yourself from bites.
  2. Pick up the bat with by placing a box over the bat, slide cardboard underneath.
  3. If possible put the baby bat back into the roost or on the roof of your house where the mother can find it.
  4. If the bat is injured; you can't find the roost or the mother doesn't fetch the baby - pick up the bat carefully.
  5. Put it in a well-ventilated box lined with a cloth. Tape the box to keep it shut.
  6. Don’t give it food or water. Leave the animal alone, don’t bother or handle it. Keep children and pets away.
  7. Keep the bat in a dark, quiet place.
  8. Contact a wildlife rehabilitator, nature conservation department or wildlife veterinarian as soon as possible. Don’t keep the bat at your home longer than is necessary. Keep the animal in a container; don’t let it loose in your house or car.
  9. Get the bat to a wildlife rehabilitator or veterinarian as soon as possible. If you are unable to get it help after a few hours, put a shallow bowl of water in the container. You do not have to feed it. Never give cow- or goat milk to a baby bat.

CONTACTS:

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