Bat Care

 

Created February 2015
Last Updated  April  2023injured bat

 

The National Bat Helpline helps to co-ordinate Bat Care in Britain.
Some Bat Groups give out a telephone number but all the bat care we take on is by referral through the National Bat helpline (Tel 0345 1300 228). Please note that all our carers are volunteers with day jobs, so cannot respond immediately. NB we can only take on calls in Bedfordshire

Over recent years we have expanded our bat care team and now have a number of very experienced carers, who help with the training of new carers.

young bat2

This juvenile Noctule was given a surrogate mum to cling onto. Photo Soggy Sabiniarz

Bat care is not to be undertaken lightly as it is both time consuming and, at times, emotionally draining.

Many of our carers are Roost Visitors which helps them in assessing the situation they find themselves in and give advice to householders.

Pip pup feeding. Photo (c)Hedj Do9llman

Pip pup feeding. Photo (c) Hedj Do9llman

Our intention is always to release the bat once it has recovered. In 2014 we have had to overwinter two bats who had not gained enough weight to have a chance of surviving hibernation.

 


Case study

A young Noctule was found clinging to a wall at Sharnbrook school.  With help from the Essex Bat Group who let her have a stay in their flight cage, she was eventually released back into the wild

The same Noctule as an adult Photo Colin Edwards

The same Noctule as an adult Photo Colin Edwards

You can keep up to date with other cases of bats in care by typing “bat care” into the search box at the top right of any page, or look in a’t our Facebook page

 

In 2015 we set  up a polytunnel in the bat carer’s gardemarden and have already made good use of it so that the bats can practice their fight pre release.Watch the blog for updates.

Assembling the flight cage
The Grand Opening

A summary of our bat care in 2015  Bat care Jan2015

We post news about bat care in our blog on this site – type bat care into the search box and on Facebook.

Drawing Joan Childs

Drawing Joan Childs

 

If you have found a grounded bat you can download some information as a pdf here. NB This has the old BCT helpline number please use the one at the top of this page.  It is in a queue for updating

 

 BCT  has a section on their website  about what to do if you  find a bat