BAt found.. what to do???

[Dom]

I just got a medium .. body lenght about 1.5 inch long brown bat dropped off.. there are no rescue centers around ottawa that will take em..

I call a few places but awaitting call backs..

In the mean while.. What do I do with her.. She was found in a heater of an appartment building.. she is in perfect health drinking as we speak..

I imagine she is insectivorous andthat I can not be release her in the wild as she will die in this weather.. so what are my options ..

I can but don't want to keep her. Any ideas.. will she survived if release by the end of winter.. what about hibernating her slowly .. anythign to help?? pretty sure its illegle to have her too...

Thanks in advance

Dom

[Stockwell]

Boy, I thought they were supposed to fly south with the Monarchs
Perhaps some hibernate... you might want to look into that.
They have very high metabolisms.. and need tons of food.
Whatever you do, don't let it bite you
Here's my bat story from a previous post

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/showt...704#post241704

[Vanan]

Doubt that you'd be able to acclimatise it to hibernation. You'd have to have it gain about 25% more weight than normal (gievn that it's not at hibernation weight already). Plus you'd have to keep it plump enough before you drop temps. The most difficult part would be to find a suitable enough hibernacula which gets cold enough and (most importantly) secluded enough. Bats hibernating need to stay in slumber as long as they can without waking. Each time they wake, they expand energy and quickly lose their body fat. In the wild, you could kill a bat by disturbing a colony hibernating in the caves. Bat's do wake up from hibernation in the middle of winter if temps warm up a lil. But this is usually followed by a binge feeding while temps are warm, to keep their weight up.

The sad truth maybe that it may have to be euthanised (most shelters, or wildlife rehabs do this in winter) or be released in a known hibernacula and let it take it's chances. Either way, good luck with it!

[Dom]

I called tons of places and its all the same case

They will take it and use brain tissues to test it for rabbies..

theres gotta be somethign i can do .. thers no shelters.. spca or wilige control puts em down .. its a 25 000$ for keepong itor rehab ..

This is frustrating.. I get the feeling anything i do . she will die

[Dom]

Heres my though .. I fed her 100 crickets .. let her eat then release herat some nearby caves and hope she survives.. Don't really no anything else to do .. althoguh for al you you relocating her .. shell probably die anyway

This so sucks

[Vanan]

Sorry Dom! Sounds like a tough situation. I guess, like you mentioned, the best thing to do would be to try and feed the heck out of her and release her. As a matter of fact, bat's are pretty good navigators and she may be able to find her way by herself to whichever cave or hibernacula she was using.

[Lisa]

You could always let it go in your attic providing it had a way out.

[liltattyprinces]

Dom, I hate to say it but there is very little you can do. My sister just went through the same thing a bat was found in the daycare she runs (it's in the basement of a church) We phoned everywhere but it finally came down to by-law picking it up. Needless to say it's been killed and is now being tested. I hate to say it but that was the best souloution in this case as it could have been a carrier for disease and was found in a place where lots of children are. I'm not sure what to tell you other than be safe around it. Speaking from experience, Rabbies shots hurt like hell...I'd just turn it over to by-law but if you really want to give it a shot feed it lots of super worms and crickets, then release it on one of the warmer days that are comming up but i highly dought it'll stand much of a chance. It'll more than likely just freez to death. Sorry i can't be of more help. If you still have it let me know as i have some friends out of town that used to rehabe wildlife including bats, I could always see if their interested.

Laura-Lee L

[Dom]

Tx Laura.. I have come to that conclusion as well .. theres not much I can do.. I just picked up a 100 crickets and meal worms but she is not interested.. she just curl up and stops moving .. I think she want to just go back in hibernation ..

Please le tme know if your friends can help .. if they can take it - It would be the best solution ..

At this point .. i am waiting for a call from a friend at Lafleche Caves wich houses over 9000 bats .. see if they can help out.. its my last resort .. if not then .. I guess she will have to be put down ..

Call me if u can reach your friends..
2978855

Dom

[Dozer]

I went to this really neat cave near the Ottawa region and there was hundreds and hundreds of bats there. I'll try to get the name of it. See what I can do.

[Dom]

tx Dozer.. Id apreciate that .. probably be Lafleche as its teh largest in this region anyway..