Submitted by Grainne Kennedy on Mon, 2017-02-20 16:41
As told by Katrina Holmes of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
The morning of Tuesday 10 January was not a normal day for the staff in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. A colleague had emailed the department about ‘a new friend’ in the lab block and we were all eager to have a look.
Our new friend was a bat, huddled in the corner of an office. Initially we thought that we may be able to release it outside but luckily for the bat the voice of reason spoke, suggesting that, that wasn’t the best idea and so we called the Bat Conservation Trust for advice.
The Trust informed us that at this time of year bats are hibernating and the bat must have been disturbed somehow and found its way into the office. Due to the unusually mild weather the bat may have thought that time for hibernation was over and emerged from its torpor. The bat would have to be collected by one of the Trust’s volunteers who could assess its health and ability to fly. The volunteer would then feed the winged creature before releasing it back into a suitable place to continue its hibernation. Time was of the essence, as temperatures were predicted to turn much colder.
| Building work that disturbs roosts/loss of habitat | Cats | Severing of commuting routes by roads |
| Loss of natural habitat e.g. hedgerows, woodlands and ponds | Lighting situated near roosts | Chemical treatment of building materials |
We were told to prepare a lidded cardboard box with several small air holes, with some soft tissue or cloth for bedding and a small container for water. Lucky for the bat, we are scientists and we found a small clean petri dish which was just the right size. Once the bat box was ready we were to don a pair of gloves (trusty yellow marigolds) to remove the bat from its location. For health and safety reasons you should never handle a bat with bare hands.
Wearing the bright yellow gloves, one of us prised the tiny creature from its corner, then gently lifted it off the gloves and into the prepared bat box. We carefully checked the bat later in the day and saw that it was drinking from the dish. Huddled up in a warm office it must have got quite thirsty. That afternoon one of the Trust volunteers came to collect the bat in her lunch hour.
I texted the next day to find out how ‘he’ was, and she replied that he was sleepy but fine. The bat was a small male Pipistrelle and she would keep him warm and fed until the weather was warm enough to release him.
We were all glad to hear that he would be ok.
If you find a bat in your building please contact – The Bat Conservation Trust or phone 0345 1300 228
In the event of an emergency contact the RSPCA National Helpline 0300 1234 999.
| Bats in the UK eat insects only | Bats are clean, sociable and can spend many hours grooming | Bats are indicators of a healthy environment |
| There are 18 species of bat in the UK, 17 of which breed here | Our smallest bat is the Pipistrelle weighing between four and seven grams | All British bats and their roosts are protected by law |