An active pipistrelle bat was found at a school during a snowy January, when he should have been tucked up and hibernating. With no food source available over winter, bats who burn energy by coming out of hibernation can starve and die.
Sarah, our Senior Ecologist, had already been called out to the same school last year to rescue a brown long-eared bat, later released during a bat walk she led for the staff and students, so they knew who to call when they found a common pipistrelle bat being uncommonly active over the winter.
Happily, this bat was perfectly healthy, but he needed to be kept in cool surroundings with food available over the winter months. Sarah hand-fed the bat with meal-worms until he became accustomed to the taste and could feed himself. The bat lived in a cold bathroom until the weather turned warm enough for his release.
Sarah took advantage of a warm weekend to return the bat to the school for his release to the wild. The students were so pleased to see their bat again.
This short video shows Sarah warming the fully grown common pipistrelle bat in her hands and then his release as he flies around trees to forage.
If you find a grounded or injured bat, please call the Bat Conservation Trust (BCT) Bat Helpline (0845 1300 228), who will put you in touch local bat rescuers like Sarah.
