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Original poster

Help! I have a bat in a box....

39 replies

oggsfrog · 01/05/2008 20:00

...and don't know what to do for the best.

One of the cats must have brought it in. We found it late this afternoon and don't know how badly injured it is. It looks okay apart from a small hole in one wing and a bit of blood on it's side/wing.
I tried to release it by putting it on top of the chicken run (I know they need to drop/swoop to fly and can't just take off), but it fell to the floor then climbed up my leg. I didn't want to leave it for the cats to get again so I brought it back in.
I've got it in a large shoe box. There is a flannel on the bottom and I stapled another flannel around a log and draped another flannel over top. The bat is now hanging from end of log under flannel.
I've put a bit of cat food in with it.

What do I do next? Don't want to put it out only for a cat to get it again.

OP posts:

Spidermama · 01/05/2008 21:43

It needs insects to eat.

CarGirl · 01/05/2008 21:49

KerryMum you are obsessesed with rabies!!!! The rabid bat was found near where I live (and I work for the VLA who deal with rabies) unless said bat is near the channel tunnel there is no reason to panick about rabies.

pucca · 01/05/2008 21:49

Aw i love bats, they are so sweet

beautifulgirls · 01/05/2008 22:02

Bats when they carry usually carry a different strain of rabies to the one one that might be found in other mammals. Yes it is a small risk and care should be taken, but it is a very small risk. The channel tunnel has nothing to do with the risk or not.

Handle gently with gardening gloves on to avoid being bitten and you will be fine. You need to look at the wings and see if there are any tears in the membranes and also the very fine bones that look a lot like veins running through the wings too. These should be identical on both sides - if not then there may be a break - or you may be able to see a break more obviously anyway.

If you need to feed it because for one reason or another you have to hang onto it then you can purchase mealworms from a pet store. Offer them to the mouth with tweezers and usually they will take them. The first one or two you will need to squash the head to get to get a bit of "taste" for the bat to detect but once they get the idea they are usually pretty easy to feed.

So, do you think this bat is injured? If so call the RSPCA to come and get it asap. If it is not injured then the best thing to do is "hang" it up in a tree and allow it to fly off when ready. It may necessitate you going up a ladder and allowing it to crawl off some sort of flattish surface until it can hook itself upside down on a twig. If needs be keep the cats in for the night. It is best released in the dusk, or if you can get out there now it is not too late just yet. Not ideal to put it out by day though as it will be vunerable to predators.

Ok - now re-read your post. Yes it is injured so you need to call the SSPCA asap or another local wildlife rescue perhaps. You could try calling a local vet for any further info on who might be able to take it from you to care for it and get treatment.
Good luck

KerryMum · 01/05/2008 22:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CarGirl · 01/05/2008 22:15

I have now! I assume he was handling bats that may have come in from abroad etc which I think is diff from one found in your back garden by your cats.

You are far more likey to get lymes (or is it limes) disease which has horrid symptoms and can go undiagnosed for months/years.

KerryMum · 01/05/2008 23:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

fortyplus · 01/05/2008 23:25

What they really love is meal worms as in wrigg;y fishing bait. We're members of Herts and Middlesex bat group. Could find details of licensed bat handler if you're anywhere nearby.

fortyplus · 01/05/2008 23:32

By the way - they usually make a very good recovery and can be released back into the wild. I was amazes to find out how long bats live... even the tiny Pipistrelles live about 16 years!

And YES... bats in this country can carry rabies, it's nothing to do with the Channel tunnel. There has been a case of a person contracting rabies from a bat bite but don't panic - as others have said - make sure you're wearing gardening gloves if you need to handle it again.

expatinscotland · 01/05/2008 23:36

nowadays, the vaccine is just the one jab.

PrimulaVeris · 02/05/2008 15:02

Any bat news today, oggsfrog?

CarGirl · 02/05/2008 18:52

sorry I meant to come back and say I would err on the side of caution and get rabies jab because bats in this country are still the main (and virtually only) carrier of rabies.

Original poster

oggsfrog · 03/05/2008 19:43

Thanks everybody.
Bat only had a very small hole in the membrane, and had eaten some of the food, it was also moving about easily and swapping from one end of the log to the other.
Dh took it out at dusk last night and put it high up in a larch tree. We live in a forest of sitka (spiky) spruce with some larches. The larch bark is much knobbly and the bat could get a good purchase on the trunk.
This morning it was gone, so fingers crossed it was okay.

OP posts:

beautifulgirls · 03/05/2008 20:33

Sounds like the best option I think. Well done!

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