HOW A RESCUED BAT IS RESTORED TO FULL HEALTH

Rehabilitating bats is intensive work. “As a bat carer you are living, breathing bats 24/7,” Samantha Pickering says. First, each new patient is assessed carefully. Batsats with horrific injuries may have to be put to sleep,, but torn ears and even large holes inn wing membranes will heal in a month or two. Next the bat carerer cleans any wounds, for example with olive oil and gentle detergent. The patient is dried off, often overer a heat mat, and any mitee infestations are treated. Then begins the process of teachingeaching it to take mealwormsorms from the hand.nd. The bat is introducedduced to a flight cage age to learn (or relearn) howw to fly, and thenhen finally set free.ee.