Help A Baby Bat

1. OBSERVE

Where did you find the baby?
A baby bat found alone is rare since they usually stay in the roost until they are old enough to fly. Sometimes, however, the newborn bats cling to their mother when she flies and may fall off. Sometimes older babies who have left the roost may become grounded.

2. REUNITE OR REHAB?

Is the baby found alone?

Very young baby bats cling to their mother when she flies but sometimes fall off. Yet bats can’t fly from the ground up because their long wingspan doesn’t give them enough lift. So when a fairly newborn baby bat is found alone on the ground outside, do contact a bat rehabilitator ASAP since bats are very difficult if not impossible to reunite with their mothers. You need to follow the guidance of a bat expert or get them into the care of an experienced rehabilitator ASAP.

Sometimes in larger colonies of insectivorous bats, the pups end up falling out of the maternity roost or bat box in summer due to overcrowding or heat. These fallen baby bats can’t be retrieved by the mother due to their weight and on-ground location. Yet a simple device called a “pup catcher” can be created to allow baby bats to fall into a net pocket and then climb back into the roost.

3. CALL

Find a local bat rescuer:

Safety First

Do not ever handle a bat barehanded! If you need to move or contain a bat, be sure to wear heavy leather gloves or use an implement like a trowel to gently move the bat into a container. Better yet, put a shoebox over the bat and slide a piece of cardboard underneath – then put the bat in a ventilated transport container. This process allows you to contain bat without any direct contact. Video clip on how to safely contain a bat.