Rescued a bat today
The last time a bat showed up at work, they wouldn’t let me near it. They wouldn’t let anyone on that whole floor of the building. Then they called a so-called professional to get rid of it. The guy obviously had no idea what he was doing. He hurt the poor thing very badly knocking it down and handling it roughly. I had a bit of a breakdown at work after witnessing it. Luckily, I have an office with solid walls and a door that can close.
That was last year, I think. This time, a bat showed up downstairs and someone threw a box over it before it could get away. I was presented with a bat in a box that had been completely sealed with packing tape. They said it was hurt and that I was to dispose of it.
Once I realized the box was sealed, I ran to find something to cut air holes. I peeked in and saw a very sweet little Mexican Freetailed bat trying desperately to escape his cardboard prison. I kept cutting small air holes and then cut one large enough for me to pass a coke cap of water through. I observed the bat for a long time. He drank some water and calmed down. I was pleased to see him drink. Eventually he found a comfy spot and hung up for a nap. Going to sleep on me is a sure sign the he had calmed down and was feeling better. He seemed to be perfectly healthy. Later I found out the reason they thought he was injured was because he wouldn’t fly.
Bats can’t take off from the ground. Their thing is to climb to a high place and drop to catch the air and start flying. As tiny as this guy is, his species is regarded as medium sized. I didn’t have any moths to feed him so I offered him a bit of sausage from my pizza. He ignored it.
After work I brought him home. I think he stayed asleep for the whole ride. I’m sure he was exhausted from the traumatic day. I put him in a dark, warm spot with some fresh water and let him sleep until nightfall.
He didn’t want to get up, but I forced him. We took some pictures and I held and petted him for a while. Then I cut the side of the box open so he could have free access and set it on the porch with new water. It’s so cold and windy. I hope he finds a good shelter soon. Turning the box out of the wind and making sure he was not on the ground was the best I could do. He is a wild animal and he should be able to fend for himself. As bad as it seems to be putting him out in this, it’s really selfish and abusive of me to think I could have actually kept him and cared for him. Bats gotta be free!
I’ll miss him, though.
