rehabilitation

Red Bats and Red Tomatoes!

“These tomatoes are almost as red as my fur! Looks like they are ready to be eaten!”- Gabe the red bat

This season’s garden is a hit! Our flight cage is bursting with summer colors as our cherry tomatoes ripen, and our eastern red bats enjoy pampering from volunteers. The garden growing within the flight cage offers a natural, and energized environment for our bats. By attracting moths, the garden allows bats to practice their predatory skills during flight. Offering bats in rehabilitation an opportunity to exercise behaviors that are necessary to survival in the wild make the flight cage and the bat garden an important part of our rehabilitation process. An appreciation for the summer crop is shared by the bats and also our volunteers, who enjoy snacking on sweet, refreshing cherry tomatoes while working hard in the summer heat

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The Joy of First Flight!

This evening bat pup was our first pup of the year, arriving as a one-week-old, found by Jordan Van Der Hayden in an ant bed, on 03May2017.
Three weeks later he is now flying confidently around the aviary, brimming with the joy of life!

Just a few days ago he was stretching his wings, doing pushups to gain strength, and we held him just far enough from his roosts to make him stretch to get back home.  Holding him further away the next night caused him to spread those wings and flutter the 8 inches back.  The next time we did it he surprised us by doubling back and flying a wobbly 55 feet to the opposite end of the cage!  But last night he flew beautifully and for quite a long time.
Next he has to learn to drink on the wing from our pools and catch moths under the blacklight and then he can start his new life as a wild and free bat!

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Our first red bat pups of 2017!

Here we go!  First red bat pups of the year!
The official (and earliest ever) start of our busiest season.
Three weeks earlier than 2016; one week earlier than 2015; two and a half weeks earlier than 2014.

This red bat mum was rescued by Selma and although one of her wings is pretty torn up, the pups seem to be doing fine.  Great save Selma!
Here’s the best look we could get without disturbing her.


She’s been hanging by one foot and has her pups clenched to her breast with her tails wrapped around them.
Classic red bat pose!

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First pups of 2017

First pups of 2017!  Two weeks earlier than ever!
Evening bat mum munches a mealworm while her pup nuzzles her.
She sustained wing injuries that grounded her and they suffered ant bites before being rescued.
No small thing to rescue a ball of angry bats covered in ants!  You’re a hero Jordan!

The red light is used to minimize stress.

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It’s in North Texas …. the fungus that causes White-nosed Syndrome

We’re obviously devastated by the news that the fungus that causes WNS has arrived in Texas.  We, like everyone else here, had hoped for a little more time, but we knew it was coming.  Although this is just the fungus, not yet the disease, we are nonetheless tweaking our rehabilitation protocols and stand ready to collaborate with state and federal agencies, and other Texas bat rehabilitators in monitoring and providing supportive care for Texas bats.
https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20170323c&nrtype=all&nrspan=2017&nrsearch=

 

austin bat Texas bats WNS

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Renee’s pup

Renee found this bat on 11Mar2017 near her front porch in the rain, weak and not moving.  We hand fed him for eight days to build up his strength and last night he took his first few flights in the aviary.  He was out of practice and not real strong that night, but tonight he did much better, even took a few drinks on the wing!  He should be ready to go soon!

Austin bat rescue refuge rehabilitation

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Texas Night Sky Festival 2017

We had a blast at the Texas Night Sky Festival on Saturday March 18th.
We met so many people and introduced them all to Buffy, Gabe, Freida, and Nikita.
It was so much fun to see all those smiling faces.
Thanks Kyndal Irwin for spending the last day of SXSW with us out in Dripping Springs!
You were so great with all those kids!  We’re proud to know you!

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Video of the Amplify Assembly – our PSA

We are so happy to be a part of the wonderful Austin non-profit community!
Here is a great overview of all the creative organizations making a difference in the Austin area.
And our PSA by bat caregiver Kyndal Irwin is the second one, at the 10 minute mark of this 2 hour video, just before Rebecca Campbell with the Austin Film Society!

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Soft Release – Mexican free-tailed bat

This little freebie male is one of 8 intakes this week and he’s been showing great flight skills in the aviary. We finally found him roosting with Taz the cave myotis and fed him full with bugs. This video shows him heading up into the bat box for soft-release. There is backup food and water and even lots of company with the wild freetails that have taken to the box this spring.
So go with God little bat; you were lots of fun!  Live and long and happy life!

free-tailed bat austin bat

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The free-tailed bats are back in Austin!

Even with the Doppler radar out of commission, we know the free-tails are back because the phone’s been ringing off the hook all week! First-year pups returning from Mexico are ending up in unexpected places. This cutie was rescued from a downtown Austin office ceiling by Chantal. He’s fine, just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Check out those feet! He’s got whiskers between his toes and brushes on the sides.

Talk about bats getting in unexpected places, we even have some in our bat box!  We thought it would never happen!  This is the first time we’ve had bats since it was put up five years ago!  They are super fast coming out of the box; this photo just barely caught one leaving.
bat from bat house

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