Category: Uncategorized

OVERVIEW
Bat World Sanctuary’s (BWS) staff focuses on providing the best practices possible in animal care by performing daily in an effective and efficient manner while providing a pleasurable work environment rich in practical learning and team work. The BWS staff are judged not just by the scale of the work they do but by the impact their work has on the lives of the animals they seek to serve. BWS actively works with zoos, researchers and animal shelters to offer an alternative to death. Many of the bats in our care have lived terrible lives before coming to us and we provide the security and privacy they need to recuperate from their previous existence. Making sure the bats are comfortable and disturbed as little as possible while the staff completes their work is paramount.

ASSISTANT CAREGIVER
The position of assistant animal caregiver (AC) is available. NOTE: This position is not temporary – please do not apply if you are only wanting to gain experience. The training involved will enable the AC to move toward a permanent position of lead caregiver. We are primarily interested in someone who desires a lifetime commitment in working with bats as well as propelling the mission of Bat World Sanctuary to the next level.

PHYSICAL & MENTAL REQUIREMENTS:
The AC plays a vital role at Bat World Sanctuary in being responsible for overseeing the well-being and overall care of the bats, both permanent care individuals as well as those in rehabilitation. The AC is required to respond to rescue calls, therefore, it is important that the AC maintains a friendly attitude towards the public no matter how ignorant their questions or attitude may be towards bats. AC’s must consider this time as an educational moment to inform the public about the vital importance of bats. The AC must have the energy required to stay standing or active for 4 to 5 hours, to lift, bend, stoop, kneel and/or other strenuous activities such as cleaning large indoor and outdoor flight enclosures, preparing large amounts of chopped fruit or participating in an “all hands on deck” in case of any emergency such as a flood or fire. The AC must have the mental fortitude to assist in cruelty cases, emergency rehabilitation procedures, veterinary surgeries and euthanasia when needed.

QUALIFICATIONS:
The position does not require any specific degree but it does require a deep empathy for animals and animal welfare, passion, energy, integrity, dedication, drive, self-discipline, respect for others and a cheerful, positive attitude. The position requires previous rehabilitation experience with bats or wildlife and a deep desire to provide the best animal care possible even when it requires personal sacrifice.

Additional components needed for the position are:

• Must be animal rights oriented (without being militant)
• Must be mature with a professional personal appearance
• Must be in good physical condition
• Must have a working knowledge of social media platforms (or willing to learn)
• A willingness to eventually work nights and weekends as training progresses
• Ability to maintain a positive work environment
• Skill set to tactfully deal with members of the public who do not understand bats
• Organizational and motivational skills necessary to work well in a fast-paced environment, handling multiple tasks at once
• Pre-exposure rabies inoculations with an adequate titer
• A valid driver’s license and reliable transportation
• Basic computer skills
  

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Learning each and every aspect of BWS animal care operations
• Observing sanctuary animals behaviors, assist in rendering medical care and attention, provide and maintain enrichment items
• Participate in the preparation of food for the bats for both their daily rations as well as nightly feedings
• Monitor daily food intake for both fruit and insect-eating bats and adjust as needed
• Assist in veterinary visits, including capturing, sedating and medicating
• Maintain the cleanliness of bat enclosures, hammocks, foliage, branches, food skewers and dishes
• Replace mineral wheels, water hangers, damaged toys and vines and other enrichment items on an as needed basis
• Provide pre-morning check and any bat care for elderly bats (requires arriving at 7:45 am on workdays)
• Maintain the semi-outdoor flight area (hosing down and cleaning the walls and floor)
• Manage the daily online schedule of the bat cam settings
• Make entries in the BWS Rescue Log as well as post on social media pages
• Be available for bat rescue calls and supply runs
• Participate in fundraisers, create videos and answer emails as training progresses
• Able and willing to advocate Bat World Sanctuary’s position on all issues
• Attend any staff meetings and training as required

DRESS CODE:
All positions with Bat World Sanctuary are important as they set an example for fellow staff as well as the public.

• All employees must be clean, well-groomed and maintain good hygiene
• Jeans, t-shirts and comfortable shoes are preferred, however, these items must project professionalism
• Workout clothing, baggie jeans worn around the hips, hoodies, and clothes that are too revealing are not allowed
• Most tattoos are permitted, however, large (visible) tattoos involving the face, neck and chest are not allowed unless covered.
• Facial jewelry involving the lips, nose, eyebrows, cheeks, etc are not allowed while at work

SCHEDULE:
25-30 hours per week with some nights and weekends required as training progresses (particularly during orphan season – June through August). The facility work schedule is 7 days per week. Each staff member receives two days off. Workdays start at 8am and run until noon, although some days may end around 11am or continue through until 1pm or later. BWS offers flexibility in allowing staff members to switch days off with each other when all parties are in agreement. All staff members are required to know the basics of every position in the event any position becomes short-handed.

SALARY & BENEFITS:
Salary is $250 to $300 weekly, depending on previous experience. Housing with utilities included are provided.  The caregivers residence is a furnished, newly constructed one bed one bath, open kitchen and living, laundry room with washer & dryer with large screened in porch. Pets are welcome. The residence is within walking distance of the Bat World facility. Insurance is not currently available, however, it is something we are working toward.

HOW TO APPLY:
To apply for this position please complete this application and email it, along with your resume/CV and a cover letter summarizing your relevant skills. Feel free to copy-paste the application into Word if that makes it easier to complete. Email all three above items to sanctuary@batworld.org.

For additional information on the Bat World Sanctuary staff click here.

Her name makes you think of a festive holiday plant – shiny green leaves and bright red berries – not an empty aquarium, garbage bags and disdain for an animal in need. She arrived on Christmas Eve of 2006, a pipistrelle bat—the smallest species in N. America, less than one inch in length and weighing no more than a dime. She was in a 10 gallon aquarium enclosed in two black plastic garbage bags that were sealed with duck tape. She lay there, wet and shivering, mud oozing from her delicate wing membranes as she gasped for air.

When we asked the folks who brought her why they put her in such a large container and sealed it so tightly, they looked replied, “Well it’s a bat”. After cutting away the duct tape to remove Holly, we motioned to the aquarium and assured them they only had to wash it and it would be reusable. The reply was, “No, no, we do not want anything back that the bat touched.” Misconceptions abound, but at least they saved her from her watery grave. Their 9 year old son, who actually discovered Holly, had learned from his teacher that if you find a bat, you should get it help. As it was Christmas Eve, a child’s pleading with his family could not be ignored. He said that he held the aquarium in his lap during the car ride over and kept asking God to help save the little bat. He said, “I also told my Mom to drive faster because I knew you would be able to help.”

The worst was realized within 24 hours; Holly had double pneumonia and her life lay in the balance. Bits of her fur were falling out, and it seemed impossible to get nutrition into her. Because of her congestion she could not swallow and breathe through her mouth at the same time. Additionally she had two broken bones – one in her tail and on one of her fingers. Surely the kindest of all things would be to humanely euthanize this sweet, little creature and end her misery, but she was trying so hard to breathe, to hang on and survive. It is in the eyes that we as rehabilitators always get our answer. Her tiny eyes made contact with ours, not looking away, while she gasped is a valiant effort to breathe. We had no choice but to give everything we had to fight right along with her.

It took several months, but Holly completely recovered. Unfortunately, her broken bones left her too severely compromised to be released. Holly has adapted well to a captive care life. She established territory in the natural habitat enclosure she shares with Mexican free-tails, big browns, and evening bats. Pipistrelles, unlike other species of bats, roost both in trees and crevices in the wild.

Holly was with us until January 28th of this year, residing at our rescue center Bat World Lone Star. She showed no signs of being ill beforehand and appeared to have passed away in her sleep from old age. We estimate that she was approximately 12 to 14 years old. Holly was such a little trooper and survived tremendous odds, and she will be forever missed.

By Amanda Lollar

What do bats smell like? We get this question a lot and it’s actually a fun question to answer. Bats do have an odor but they don’t stink; in fact, their scents range from pleasant to weird depending on the species and even their activities. Below is a personal description of the various “essences of bats” I have encountered over the past 25 years.

BRAZILIAN FREE-TAILED BATS
I first noticed the smell of Brazilian free-tails back in the early 90s when I detected a familiar odor coming from their tiny 2″ bodies.

For the longest time I couldn’t put my finger on what they smelled like, I just knew the scent was pleasant. Then, one day, while walking down a grocery store aisle, I smelled it, the unmistakable smell of a Brazilian free-tailed bat – only it wasn’t a bat, it was corn tortillas! I picked up a package, held it under my nose and sniffed. There it was, the sweet smell of corn masa – so close to a free-tailed bat it was hard to tell the difference. Years later I shared this information with my then co-author and she shared it with a researcher who decided to investigate further. Using odor-tracking software, the researcher discovered that Brazilian free-tailed bats share the same chemical compound responsible for corn flour: 2-aminoacetophenone (read paper here). This compound is present in tortillas and many other foods. Interestingly, a primary portion of a free-tailed bat’s diet in the wild is the corn-borer moth.  Another interesting note is that during release and right before take off,  male Brazilian free-tailed bats emit a scent that smells like a bouquet of flowers.

HOARY BATS AND RED BATS
Hoary bats and red bats are both solitary species that roost in trees. Their unique fur coloring helps to camouflage them and keep them safe by making them appear as pine cones, dried leaves or even tree bark. These insect-eating bats are among the most beautiful in the US but have the unfortunate (albeit very faint) odor of fish combined with urine.

PALLID BATS
In my opinion big-eared pallid bats are the true fairies of the wood. They are exquisite little beings with endearing faces, yet these gentle bats are known for their ability to eat scorpions and centipedes while remaining oblivious to the stings. They don’t have much of an odor unless they are under stress. When that happens they smell very much like a skunk.

EVENING BATS
Evening bats resemble miniature 2″ grizzly bears. They eat cucumber beetles, Japanese beetles, carabidae beetles, June bugs, flying ants, spittle bugs, stinkbugs, and small moths, and they smell like burnt oranges.

AFRICAN FRUIT BATS
Sometimes called straw-colored fruit bats, these cat-sized bats eat dates, baobab flowers, mangoes, pawpaws, avocados, figs, passion fruit and more, helping to spread the seeds of these plants over thousands of miles in Africa. African fruit bats don’t have much of an odor unless they are stressed. When that happens they smell like licorice combined with road tar.

EGYPTIAN FRUIT BATS
These squirrel-sized bats eat a variety of exotic fruits from tropical shrubs and trees in the wild. Wild dates and figs are among their favorite foods but they also enjoy plant nectar. These bats have the pleasant aroma of warm fruit jam.

JAMAICAN FRUIT BATS
These hamster-sized bats eat fragrant fruits like figs, various leaves, flowers, pollen, nectar and even nuts in the wild. They also help to spread the seeds of the allspice tree which brings in millions of dollars a year to Jamaica’s economy. These bats don’t have much of a smell individually but when snuggled together they emit a fragrance comparable to perfumed soap.

Bat World Sanctuary is an Amazon Associate. Products listed here help us earn revenue to support our rescue efforts. When purchased (and at no additional cost to you) Amazon will donate as much as 10% to our sanctuary. Click the item to make a purchase a Cucumber Melon Candle through Amazon.com.

2. Respect vs Nurturing
Most people get involved in wildlife rehabilitation not just for the good it does for the animal but also the good it does for oneself. Providing nurture and watching an animal thrive under your care is a wonderful feeling, however, that feeling should never overpower the proper respect an animal deserves. Every captive bat deserves a peaceful existence, free from stress of being over-handled or over-bothered by constant intrusions. Provide just what they need to be happy and not what YOU need for a warm-fuzzy.

3. Over-Confidence Kills
A good wildlife rehabilitator always second-guesses his or her self and usually blames themselves over the loss of an animal. Every mistake or loss needs to be an opportunity to learn so that bat did not die in vain. Ask yourself what could have been done differently, or what did you miss? If there was nothing that could have been done, what knowledge did you gain that can be used to help save the next bat? Learning from mistakes will make you a better rehabber. Being overly confident ruins your ability to learn from your mistakes and will cause more bats to die in your care.

At most animal sanctuaries, Christmas day is just like any other. Resident animals must be cared for and rescues still take place. That’s no exception at Bat World Sanctuary. The bats don’t know it’s Christmas, of course, they only know they getting extra treats, toys and decorations added to their enclosure  – decorations they haven’t seen since this time last year.

A staff of two take care of the bats on Christmas day, myself (Amanda) and Assistant Director, Terri. The other staff members are off enjoying time with their families. Between the two of us we manage to get everything done in about four hours so we still have plenty of family time as well. While we work we spend a lot of time having fun, always joking that we could never take December 25th off  because “The bats still poop on Christmas day!”

We also talk about how grateful we are to our supporters, because without them we wouldn’t have the means to take care of the bats on Christmas or any other day of the year. We are also grateful for the many shoppers who visited batworldstore.org and bought educational gifts that spread the good word about bats while bringing in extra funds to help our rescue efforts.

This year was even more exceptional because our supporters contributed enough on North Texas Giving Day to provide food for the bats for an entire year, ensuring that next year, the bats can still poop on Christmas day.

And for that we are eternally grateful.

On December the 9th we had an odd delivery of two containers covered in cloths found in our delivery hall after we came back from a supply run. The containers held 19 non-releasable bats of various ages including 7 free-tails, 3 big browns, 8 pallids and 1 Myotis bat. There was a note attached to one container which read “Please take care of them.”

All the bats except one had injuries that had long since healed. One bat, a female free-tail, had a serious injury that resulted in the loss of her wing. She was already in the process of healing but we started her onpain medications and antibiotics to speed her healing. All of the  bats had bright eyes and were a good weight so it was obvious that someone had been taking good care of them for quite a while.

The bats were evaluated and over the next few days we discovered that most of them were self-feeding. Over the next week, all but the injured free-tail were slowly introduced into the existing non-releasable bat colony at Bat World. The injured female (that we call Melody) was placed into an incubator in our clinic with another free-tailed bat suffering with frost bite. At this writing little Melody has since learned to eat from a dish so both she and little “Frosty” will be moved into the flight enclosure very soon.

The remaining bats gradually settled in, making friends with their new free-tail and big brown roost mates. Some of the bats moved into the simulated cave provided for the handicapped bats while the pallid bats chose to move into another simulated cave at at the opposite end of the flight enclosure. At this writing all of the bats are doing extremely well and are adapting to their new life at Bat World Sanctuary.

Bat World Sanctuary is an Amazon Associate. Products listed here help us earn revenue to support our rescue efforts. When purchased (and at no additional cost to you) Amazon will donate as much as 10% to our sanctuary. Click the item to make a purchase, and thank you!

On September 22, 2016 (North Texas Giving Day) you were invited to watch us LIVE from 8:00 am until 11am-noon CST as we went through our daily routine at Bat World Sanctuary, cleaning enclosures, hand-feeding disabled bats and preparing bat food. 100% of all the money we raised on that day was deposited into our Food Account in order to provide food for the bats we care for and rescue next year. We needed to raise at least $35,000 to cover the cost of both food and medicine for 2017.  Click here to view the results from Giving Day! Giving Day donations, as well as the donations we received through paypal and other means, totaled an astounding 40,515!!!

Here is a summary of what your donations have furnished for the bats:

PLEASE ENJOY THIS FOOTAGE (including bloopers!) MADE FROM OUR LIVE CAMS ON 9/22/16.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW OUR LIVE BAT CAM PAGE THAT INCLUDES 5 CAMERAS

Bat World Sanctuary is an Amazon Associate. Products listed here help us earn revenue to support our rescue efforts. When purchased (and at no additional cost to you) Amazon will donate as much as 10% to our sanctuary. Click the item to purchase a Nest Cam like used above through Amazon.com.

From the GFAS website:
Amanda Lollar of GFAS-accredited Bat World Sanctuary is the eighth recipient of the Carole Noon Award for Sanctuary Excellence given annually by Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries.

Washington DC – The 2016 Carole Noon Award for Sanctuary Excellence recipient was announced by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS). This year Amanda Lollar of GFAS-accredited Bat World Sanctuary was singled out for her leadership in supporting the welfare of bats as a caregiver, educator and advocate.

The Carole Noon Award for Sanctuary Excellence is given annually to a sanctuary or individual who embodies and puts into practice the GFAS philosophy of vision, dedication and excellence in animal care. It memorializes Carole Noon, founder of Save the Chimps in Fort Pierce, Florida, the world’s largest chimpanzee sanctuary.

“For decades, Amanda has been a tireless champion for this often misunderstood, maligned and underserved group of animals,” says Kellie Heckman, GFAS executive director. “She is the expert in captive bat care and management and an inspiration to all for her passion and dedication. We are excited and honored to provide her with the recognition she deserves.”

Amanda Lollar founded Bat World Sanctuary in Weatherford, TX in 1994, after rehabilitating her first injured bat in 1988. Amanda has since volunteered her time seven days a week, 365 days per year, 12 to 16 hours per day. The Sanctuary currently cares for over 200 permanent residents. Over the past two decades, Amanda has personally saved the lives of thousands of bats, including over 2,000 starving and injured orphaned bats which were hand-raised and released back to the wild.

Lollar shared her thoughts about the achievement, saying, “Bats are miraculous creatures that deserve our protection. They are highly intelligent, have remarkable language skills, and form deep social connections. It has been my life’s work and my greatest joy to defend and support the species. I thank GFAS for this monumental recognition and for all they do to protect the animals of the world by making certain Dr. Noon’s passion and compassion lives on.”

“Amanda has trained over 400 zoologists, veterinarians, and other animal care professionals from every bat-inhabited continent in the world. It is not an exaggeration to say that Amanda has saved hundreds of thousands of bats across the globe due to her hands-on ability and her willingness to share her knowledge. We are so very grateful to GFAS for bestowing this much-deserved award upon Amanda, who makes us proud each and every day,” elaborates Dottie Hyatt, Vice President of Bat World Sanctuary.

An award will be presented to Ms. Lollar in person at a ceremony in the fall at Bat World Sanctuary.

About Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries:

Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the sole purpose of strengthening and supporting the work of animal sanctuaries/rescues worldwide. The goal of GFAS in working with and assisting sanctuaries/rescues is to ensure they are supported, honored, recognized and rewarded for meeting important criteria in providing care to the animals in residence. GFAS was founded in 2007 by animal protection leaders from a number of different organizations in response to virtually unchecked and often hidden exploitation of animals for human entertainment and financial profit. The GFAS Board of Directors guides the organization’s work in a collaborative manner. They represent top leadership from Born Free USA, The Humane Society of the United States, International Fund for Animal Welfare, and American Anti-Vivisection Society. For more information, visit: www.sanctuaryfederation.org.

This contest was created to help us raise funds to care for orphaned and injured bats.

Each tattoo (see below) has been assigned a number which donors will use when casting their votes. The tattoo receiving the most votes wins an autographed, matted print of Peekaboo as shown below. The winner will also receive a plush bat of their choice. Limit one tattoo per person. Deadline for submission is June 30th, midnight CST.

THE TATTOS
Click the image to be taken to a page to view the 50+ tattoos. Each tattoo is assigned a number. Once you pick your favorite, return here to donate/vote. When voting please be sure to list the number of the tattoo you are voting on in the notes section. Each dollar donated counts as one vote. Voting will take place from July 1st through July 10th. Winner will be notified on or by July 12th.
 
 
WINNER: Congrats to bat tat owner #54! Here is the final count:

#54 – 176 votes
#01 – 120 votes
#25 – 83 votes
#12 – 75 votes
#13 – 65 votes
#06 – 55 votes
#43 – 35 votes
#34 – 30 votes
#40 – 30 votes
#30 – 11 votes
#20 – 11 votes
#41 – 10 votes
#50 – 10 votes
#11 – 10 votes
#34 – 8 votes
#33 – 5 votes
#48 – 5 votes
#04 – 4 votes
#07 – 3 votes
#18 – 1 vote
#02 – 1 vote
#24 – 1vote
#15 – 1 vote
#27 – 1 vote
#30 – 1 vote
#36 – 1 vote

The city of Palestine, Texas loves their bats.

They have had thousands of bats roosting in their downtown buildings for several years. And even though they sometimes create an odor, the city wants the bats to stay in the area because of the tremendous amount of insect control these bats provide.

On May 21, 2016, Bat World’s Director of Special Projects, Kate Rugroden, met with approximately 15 residents and local officials from the City of Palestine and members of the East Texas Chapter of Master Naturalists, to discuss how best to handle the humane removal and ultimate preservation of several colonies of bats from historic buildings in the downtown Palestine area.

Several ideas were discussed, including installing bat houses on the affected buildings and installing ‘rocket’ style bat towers throughout the city. We also covered ways to engage the community, such as a bat fair, bat house building events, educational programs, and news articles/press releases.

One promising idea being considered is creating a sanctuary that has sufficient space around it for a decent perimeter as well as places to build patios for viewing. One building (built in 1913) suffered a catastrophic structural failure some years ago. Originally a 4-story structure, the 3rd and 4th floors collapsed and the roof fell in. One suggestion, which seems to have a lot of traction, is to have that building fitted out as a bat sanctuary. There are open areas on three sides of the building which would establish a safe perimeter and allow businesses to set up viewing areas, where visitors could watch the nightly emergence. The fourth side of the building contains large picture windows. The local middle and high school students could be given the opportunity to design educational window displays, paint murals, etc. City staff would be responsible for checking the building periodically, removing excess guano and ensuring the building is secure.

The project is expected to take several years to complete, given the number of buildings involved. The East Texas Master Naturalists will be active participants, assisting with outreach, public education, and building bat houses. Bat World Sanctuary’s involvement will include consulting on design and placement of bat houses, educational programs and materials, and providing contact information for additional resources.

We are extremely pleased to be part of this wonderful initiative, and the enthusiasm demonstrated by the people of Palestine for protecting the bats is encouraging beyond measure.