"Oh, mum, I thought it was a leaf!" exclaimed my daughter as she stepped back from the fire.
It started on a dull day in November, my daughter Ana Maria and grandson Tyler had come to help clean up the 2 1/2 acres of 'nothing but leaves'. On our property we have different varieties of Oak trees, one in particular has huge leaves, it is called a Turkey Oak. When the leaves fall they look very similar to small birds or bats fluttering in the breeze, hence the mix-up!
The previous owner had placed birdhouses on a number of trees, during cleanup we decided to remove the rotten ones and burn them along with the leaves. Dusk was starting to fall, when my daughter threw one of them into the fire and shortly after scooped up what she thought to be a leaf, as she did so the 'leaf' suddenly flew at her, I realized it was a bat! Poor thing must have been overcome by the smoke and hastily made an exit from the birdhouse.
He seemed unhurt, but at that time I had no idea what to do with him, so I called my veterinarian Dr. Kemmerer/Cotrell, who was visiting her mother in Texas. She kindly returned my call and told me how to setup a temporary home with heating pad and the method to feed him.
Such a tiny little creature, I held him in a soft facecloth so I would not harm his delicate little body. I fed him twice a day and he knew when I was coming, he seemed to accept my help.
It only took about 4-5 days before we were able to let him go back into the wild where he belonged. On a warm evening we took him to the area we had found him and placed him in the fork of a tree, as soon as the sun set, he was off to explore with his other friends.
I felt a sadness to see him go, but a tinge of happiness warmed my heart to know that he had fully recovered from his smoke inhalation and was now free to do what bats do best, keeping the ecological scale balanced in my little part of the world!---Angela
West End Bat Rescue
West End Animal Hospital boasts a triple-wide nursery house in the center of its parking lot. The house is currently occupied by several hundred Mexican Free-Tails and Evening Bats. Built with room to grow, this house can hold up to 1800 bats. The public is welcome to come watch the bats exiting the house at dusk any evening. We have provided a bench on the north side of the parking lot for best viewing.
Make a financial donation to:
West End Bat Rescue
15318 W. Newberry Rd
Newberry, FL 32669
Visit our web site at www.weah4.tripod.com/id5.html to learn more!
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