SLICK
He was found clinging to life in a dark, forgotten corner of a local hotel—just past an upscale restaurant and through a doorway that led into an abandoned, unsanitary wing of the building. A hotel staff member had to use a flashlight to find him.
What we discovered was heartbreaking. Slick had somehow managed to claw his way onto a broken cinderblock “island” in the middle of what looked like a toxic brew of black water. It smelled like a combination of paint thinner, exhaust fluids, and pesticides. Being a curious juvenile bat, he likely ended up in the room while exploring and ended up falling into the poisonous pool. He lost the tops of his thumbs, nail and all, trying to climb the walls of the room to escape. Luckily, he found the broken cinder in the middle of the pool, the only thing that saved his life. Slick was immediately rushed to our clinic for treatment. Even before leaving the parking lot, the stench of the chemicals covering his tiny body was so overwhelming that it filled the interior of our vehicle. Slick underwent multiple gentle baths, drying after each bath and then thoroughly checking his tiny body for left-over fumes. Finally, after three baths, the toxic odor was gone from his wings and fur. He also received activated charcoal in hopes of alleviating any poisonous effects from ingesting the black water. Sweet Slick has made a full recovery but his flight ability appears to be compromised so he will remain in our care. Take as long as you need little Slick, that’s why we are here.
OVER 150 BABY BATS RESCUED
An incredible rescue took place when a colony of baby bats was found under a fallen tree branch after a heavy storm in Florida. The von Arx Wildlife Hospital at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida was first at the scene, quickly collecting what would end up being a total of 156 baby bats. The Conservancy reached out to us for guidance as they feared they would need to hand raise all 156 now-orphaned bats. Thankfully, most of the tree was still intact and steady, and the mothers were still roosting there. We advised mounting a bat house, along with a pup catcher, to the remaining trunk of the tree. The pups could then be placed into the bat house to reunite with their mothers. We also advised watching the area for any abandoned pups over the next few days, as they would most likely end up in the pup catcher. Although sadly, 11 pups were mortally injured during the fall, the remaining 145 babies were successfully reunited with their mothers.
Read the full story in the article linked below.
CHILLI – BEING A BABY IS HARD
Sleep. Eat. Repeat. It’s hard work being a baby! It used to be a bit simpler; I was with my mother and I knew exactly what to do. She kept me warm and well fed, until one day she didn’t come back. I waited and waited but still, my mama never returned. I got really thirsty and my belly was rumbling. I grew weak and sleepy, and eventually I just couldn’t hold on anymore and I fell from my roost onto the ground below. It was very bright, and there were sounds and sights that frightened me. I knew I shouldn’t be out in the open, it’s not safe and there are birds with sharp beaks, flying too close and scaring me! But my roost was way up high, and even if I had a way to climb back up, I knew my mama wasn’t there waiting for me.
So I laid there. And I laid. What else could a baby like me do? It wasn’t until a strange human came and gently scooped me into a box that I felt somewhat safe again. At least it was dark and I couldn’t hear the birds anymore. The next time I was taken from the box, I was in a strange room very unlike my roost where I was used to being. I was given a shot that made me feel better right away. Now that I felt hydrated again my tummy was begging to be filled.This is when things got strange. A soft tip that felt nothing like my mama was placed into my mouth and food came through it. The food tasted different than what my mama gave me, though after a few swallows, it was actually pretty good. I was really struggling to understand how to eat this new way, but the nice people were there to help. They stayed with me for a really long time until I finally got the hang of it, and eventually my belly was full again for the first time in days! Now that my hunger was gone, I was sleepy and wondering if there would be a safe place for me to roost. Sure enough, the humans placed me in a warm enclosure, and there were other bats just like me in there! They named me Chili, and I cuddled together with the other babies like me; Ivy, Sapling, Tatya, Goldie, Blue… all my new friends! As I drifted to sleep I knew one day we would all be able to fly free again. Being a baby is hard, but I am glad I didn’t give up.
LEARNING CENTER UPDATE!
We are finally moving forward with construction on the interior of our Learning Center! Thanks to a wonderful matching grant from a generous donor as well as using some of our investment funds, we were able to have the septic installed and complete the framing! Next comes the electrical work, interior plumbing, insulation and sheetrock work. Then comes the painting, flooring and trim work. With luck, we hope to be finished by the fall, just in time to welcome an senior bat research assistant who will be interning from Singapore!
Speaking of interns, although we had to limit the amount of interns who applied this year as the learning center wasn’t finished, we were still able to host interns from Texas, Oregon, Canada, and Michigan. Next year we hope to double the number of interns, as well as hosting educational classes for children and adults alike. Click here to see our budget and read testimonials from interns.
We are so close! You can help us complete the learning center by clicking here to help with construction costs. Click here to help with our Amazon Wishlist.
HUMANE EXCLUSIONS
There is no humane way to exclude a bat colony during baby season. Most Bats give birth to just one pup starting in late spring and summer. If you seal out a bat colony or trim down their palm frond home during the spring or summer, baby bats will be left behind to die. If you have an unwanted colony in your attic, ensure there’s no way they can get into the home’s interior but wait until the end of summer before having the colony excluded. Visit batworld.org for humane ways to evict bats at the proper time of year.
A special thank you to Cindy Myers for the use of her graphic and text!
