Dear Bat World Sanctuary Supporter,
This month, our featured rescue is Dory, a beautiful hoary bat. We are also involved in several new projects – please keep reading to see the good things we are trying to do!
DORY THE HOARY ♥
Little Dory, a beautiful hoary bat, was no doubt enjoying her week, feasting on the abundance of bugs brought about by the recent rain showers, when she found herself in trouble. *Wham!* Dory opened her eyes and found herself on the ground. Dory instinctively would have tried to find the nearest tree or upright surface and climb to safety, but when she tried to move, she felt a sharp, searing pain radiating through her arm. Sadly, hours passed and she grew hungry and dehydrated. Thankfully, a kind homeowner noticed her lying in his backyard and called Bat World Sanctuary. Dory was transported to our facility where she received pain medication, warmed fluids, a nutritious meal, and immediate wound care for her injured wing. She is recovering nicely but unfortunately her injury was severe and left her unable to fly again. Dory will be given lifetime sanctuary with us, where she will never again have to go through the trauma she endured that day. A special thank you to volunteer transporter Diane for getting Dory to us so she could be saved!
ACTION ALERT – HELP ADDRESS THE MICHIGAN BAN ON BAT RESCUE!
Bat rehabilitation in the State of Michigan is completely banned and has been for over a decade. Wildlife rehabilitators are legally obligated to euthanize each bat that is brought to them by the public, even if the bat is a perfectly healthy animal that can be saved and released. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources urges citizens to leave downed bats where they find them, claiming they will “leave on their own.” As those who follow us will know, a grounded bat is a bat in need of help. The Michigan DNR justifies the ban by stating that it is a concern of public health. Across the United States, wildlife rehabilitators successfully work with native bats and follow specialized protocol, such as pre-exposure vaccinations against rabies, in-depth training and additional permitting. These procedures put into place by countless other states effectively solve the concerns of the Michigan DNR, and yet they have so far been unwilling to budge on their antiquated stance, causing thousands of downed bats, including orphans, to needlessly die. Read our full article on the issue here.
We are asking our followers for help. We desperately need the state of Michigan to hear as many voices as possible on this issue. Please help us save lives by sending a pre-written letter to various state officials involved in this senseless ban. CLICK HERE TO SEND YOUR LETTER.
BAT HOUSE NEWS!
Many of you may remember a large bat condo being mounted beside our bat castle in order to attract more bats to the safe habitat we have provided. Unfortunately, the interior of the house began to warp, making it unsafe for the bats. Rather than see this beautiful house go to waste, we contacted the Mineral Wells High School Woodworking Shop. They are now in the process of rebuilding the house as a school project. After the house has been rebuilt, it will find a new home just a mile from our location at the Vietnam War Museum. Why this location? One, because the area where the house will be mounted is clear of trees, unlike our land, and two, because Major Luther S. Lollar, our founder’s father, a Vietnam War Veteran himself, was instrumental in getting Bat World Sanctuary off the ground in 1994. He did two tours in Vietnam and received numerous awards during his military career. Stay tuned for updates on that project!
In the meantime, we have mounted two back-to-back bat houses, made by Lone Star Woodcraft, beside the bat castle and well above the tree line. The bat houses are equipped with a large pup catcher that can be raised and lowered in the event a nursery colony occupies the bat house, as shown in the video below.
OUR BAT RAP SAFETY VIDEO!
In the year 1999, we created a “Bat Rap” for children and it has endured to this day. Our Director of Education, Jessica Anderson, recently lent her voice to the Bat Rap song in order to turn it into an animated video for children. We are so very proud to present the finished project!
BAT APPRECIATION MONTH!
Bat Appreciation Month is celebrated throughout the month, with International Bat Week occurring from October the 24th through the 31st of October. We are celebrating with a local “Bat Walk” on October 30th. Pictured below is our September 30th Bat Walk designed to educate our local community on the importance of bats roosting in downtown areas. Click here for information on upcoming Bat Walks!
NORTH TEXAS GIVING DAY RESULTS!!
North Texas Giving Day was September 22nd. Thanks to all of you who donated, we raised enough to install an Addressable Fire Alarm System throughput the facility. This system not only alerts us and lets us know exactly where the fire is located, it also notifies our nearby fire station that we are in need of help. Thank you, SO MUCH, for your generosity in giving us this extra layer of protection for the sanctuary bats!
As always, thank you, dear friends, for your incredible support! We could not save these precious beings without you. ♥
~ Bat World Sanctuary