On April the 28th, 2020, Statler turned 33 years old. Statler had a difficult life before he came to Bat World Sanctuary. He was born in a zoo and has a few battle scars, and somehow over the years he lost an eye. He came to us two years ago after the small zoo (where he was mistreated) thankfully closed. Statler loves to recline in a hammock where his favorite foods are close by. He gets arthritis medication every day as well as a warm facial and gentle brushes. Statler is the oldest living bat in captivity; we hope to give him many more years of daily pampering. (And in case you are wondering, Statler’s friend, Chessie, got a piece of “cake” as well).

Annie is a baby short-tailed fruit bat. Her mother became overwhelmed and unable to care for her after being rescued. Annie’s mother was one of the abused and neglected bats rescued from the Mini S Exotic Zoo in Mineola, Texas in January. Bat World staff are more than happy to care for little Annie until she is old enough to be on her own, and Annie doesn’t seem to mind the extra attention. Annie has a bit of  temporary nontoxic paint on her head as a way to mark her in the flight enclosure.

As you can see, we are still rescuing and caring for bats bats, from the very young to the very old, and we have no plans of ever stopping.

#GivingTuesdayNow, is a new global day of giving in response to the extensive needs caused by COVID-19. It is scheduled for this coming Tuesday, May 5th. The cancellation of in-person fundraising opportunities has made raising funds for the bats much harder while the need for rescue continues. More troubling is the fact that bats are being unfairly blamed for creating this pandemic, which makes raising critical funds to save bats even more difficult still. Additionally, because of Covid-19, our food bill has greatly increased. We are no longer able to get discounted produce from our local supplier and instead have to purchase food from a distributor.

We hope you will join us on Giving Tuesday to provide for the bats during this incredibly difficult time and you will not mind receiving a reminder on Monday to please donate on Tuesday, May the 5th. For those of you eager to help immediately, Early Giving is open now through May 4th.

On behalf of the bats we all love so much, thank you for anything you can give on this special Giving Day. ♥