Releasing a bat.

Being on the care and rehabilitation list for the region brings you calls at all sorts of odd times and for places you’ve never been. A month ago I received a call that someone had found a bat on the path outside their office. The office was only just down the road, so I called in and collected the bat. It was a juvenile Common Pipistrelle that appeared quite healthy. No wing damage. No wounds. So probably not cat damaged, which is always a relief when collecting a grounded bat!

Handing it on to someone who is better organised and more skilled at looking after bats is something you have to do when you have four children. The same day I collected another Common Pipistrelle from about a quarter of a mile away, so a busy day!

Last night I took the first bat to release her. The lady who had found her wanted to see her released. She had become fascinated by bats after being told their life cycle and shown the grounded bat when I collected her.

The bat had put on weight and had been to the flight cage to show everyone she could fly. I’d had her for two days, feeding her on meal worms. The evening was overcast but warm. I held the bat in my hand for a few minutes while the lady who had found it and I talked about bats. The bat warmed up nicely and began to get active in my hand, trying to escape. So, it was time to release her. And off she flew, into the distance and off into the dark.

The other bat still isn’t flying but hopefully it will. The big plus though is getting people to be involved in bat conservation. Seeing other people get as enthusiastic as any other batty person and want to support bat conservation in any way they can.