Bats are beautiful creatures, steeped in mystery, myth and history. They are the only mammal that flies and their average life span is 30 years. They are both loved and misunderstood, recently due to Covid both feared and hated.
Bats are more similar to humans than we care to think, but they are one of the few mammals that need human baby formula to survive without their mother.
With all wildlife you should wear gloves when handling and properly wash your hands afterwards, and with bats it’s important to wear gloves. They are known possible carriers of rabies and we learned they can also carry strains of the virus covid.
Bats are a difficult mammal to rehab due to their size and the complexity of their needs. They need to be stimulated prior to feeding. They do better wrapped in a soft towel, which has been termed “bat burrito” because they would be wrapped in their mother’s wings. They sleep upside down. Need space to practice flying so they can be safe once released.
Its easier to show you than to write it all down, so this section will have external links as well as personal videos with my x-wildlife partner. Luckily, I have not received a lot of bats while doing wildlife rehabilitation in South Carolina, so it’s rare to get a call for a bat.
it’s important to clean all babies after feeding. Depending upon their age they may need to be stimulated to relieve themselves. But if you allow milk to dry on them flies will lay eggs on them and that will eventually kill them- once the eggs hatch, the maggots will feast upon them.