Rescued bats freed after hibernation
After renovations began at a building on the corner of Avenue D and 33rd Street in October, the new owner, Jeff Montgomery, was surprised to find 280 hibernating bats were already calling it home.
The bats were huddled between the ceiling tiles and the roof’s vapour barrier. Knowing they would need a new place to hibernate, Montgomery called Melanie Elliott, program manager for ecological education at the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Education.
“I showed (Montgomery) how to pick them up with leather gloves on. They put them in Rubbermaid bins and for two weeks every night I went and brought home bins full of bats,” Elliott laughed.
Each bat had to be weighed and deemed to be in good health before Elliott could settle them into their new hibernation spot — a cold cellar located in her basement.
She checked on them throughout the winter and made sure they had fresh water to drink, but now the insects are back — which means the bats are finally ready for action.
“When you release a wild animal that you’ve been trying to help through the winter, you want it to go back to its territory;” Elliott said. “The building is now all nicely sealed up, and of course they don’t want bats back in the building, but they were willing to let me put bat houses on the outside.”
Woodworkers at Luther Tower built and donated five bat houses that can accommodate more than 300 bats.
Elliott released the bats Thursday night so they can take up residence in their new homes. Media outlets were invited to observe.
“I’ve released a few of the bats already when we were having warmer weather in April, but I wanted to try and do something so that these guys, who spent two weeks picking bats out of Fiberglas pink for me, get some public thanks for it,” she said.